Front End Chatter

Hello and welcome to Front Endy Prongs number 153 in the long-running cerealised podcast of motorcycle-related things, sponsored forever and a day by Bennetts, the prince among Thebes of bike insurance specialists – and bikesocial.co.uk, the number one place to go for bike-related news, reviews and product and kit tests. And check out Bennetts' YouTube channel, with all the lovely lovely lovely moving images contained therein.  Now, to business. This week Simon and Martin natter about:  • MotoGP testing from Sepang • sending long termers back to importers in a crate • taking the bodywork off test bikes on location • Norton ex-boss Stuart Garner pleads guilty • Triumph's TE-1 electric Speed Triple ready for testing • BMW's 2022 K1600 reviewed • and a tone of other stuff, including a smattering of your lovely lovely lovely emails Thanks for continuing to indulge our witterings, and please continue to send emails with thoughts, queries and questions to  anything@frontend chatter.com Catch us on the socials at

Hello and welcome everyone to Front End Chatter, Britain’s Best Predominantly Road-Based Biking Podcast, with Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons supported for the 100th time by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and bikesocial.co.uk for all your motorcycle news, launches, reviews, road tests, product tests and racing. And on episode 152 this week we have: quiz time: who had 152 MotoGP podiums in their career? Marc Marquez is making his comeback, but in his 10th season he’s basically the old timer of the class now 2021 has given BMW and Ducati their best-ever sales results – but where in world do they sell the most? RIP to the man inspired a generation to ride bikes (okay, maybe just me), Mr Meatloaf Plus FECsack specials including: got any good tips for sportsbike touring? what used litre sportsbikes will get me into the fast group? how a Grand Prix could be coming to Lincolnshire Plus loads more – about 2 hours’ worth. Blimey. Thanks for lending us your ears, and please send your questions,

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, possibly Britain’s longest-running motorcycling podcast, don’t sue us, we haven’t done the maths, and welcome to episode 151, supported and enhanced as ever by the presence and patronage of Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and bikesocial.co.uk – the place get all your news and views and reviews of new bikes, used bikes, kit tests and everything happening in motorcycling. And on Front End Chatter E151 we have a FECsack special, partly because there’s no news to speak of (apart from Petrucci being a star), and partly special because Simon read the wrong emails. We hope you enjoy!  Thanks again to Bennetts and bikesocial.co.uk, and please keep your thoughts, questions and ideas coming to:  anything@frontendchatter.com

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter Episode 150, presented as ever by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves, and supported by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialist, and bikesocial.co.uk, your one-stop on the interwebs for everything bike-related – and don’t forget to check out Bennetts’ YouTube channel with a stack of new bike launch videos, consumer advice and how-tos. And on this Christmassy episode we have: Some bad bike jokes FEC at the NEC; our chat on stage with Mr Jamie James Whitham live at Motorcycle Live Triumph's new Tiger 1200 gets more from less BSA's Goldstar gets something from nothing Ducati's Desert X gets it white first time John McGuiness returns to Honda for the NW and TT Plus why Sargent seats are good how having kids changes motorcycling synthetic fuel alternatives to electric as the future ...and loads of chit-chat in between Thanks to all of you for downloading and giving FEC a listen, please continue to spread the word, and please keep your thoughts, queries, questions and

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, and is it that time already? This, in all its error-strewn glory, is episode 149 of the biking podcast presented by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves in which they attempt to steer a smooth path between pot-holes on the A87 of modern motorcycling, and avoid denting their rims.  Front End Chatter is, as ever, proud to be supported by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and Bikesocial.co.uk, the best website in the world for getting all your motorcycling news, reviews, product tests, racing info and first rides of the latest bikes.  And on FEC this week Simon fails to understand much about anything, leaving Martin to soldier on nattering about:  • EICMA No-Show – the big Italian bike show normally flush with new bikes... but minus some big names this year... • new Bimotas, Hondas – including the resurrection of the Hornet, by name at least – Kawasakis, Moto Guzzi and MV Agusta • Toprak Razgatlioglu finishes the WSB season in dominant style by losing the

Hello and welcome to episode 148 of the long-running motorcycling podcast otherwise known as Front End Chatter, presented before your brain by Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons and supported like a bridge over troubled water by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and bikesocial.co.uk, the place to get all your bike news, reviews, product tests and racing. And on this week’s episode Simon and Martin blather about: goodbye and farewell to you-know-who, managing to make the very last lap of his career one of his most impressive • what’s his legacy, what was his finest moment, and what was his worst? more MotoGP farewells from Petrucci and Mr Steve Day Marc Marquez’ eye injury – what does it mean long term for Marquez, Honda and Repsol? Jack Miller racing a Panigale V4 R in the Australian Superbike Championship the passing of Paul Smart, Ducati legend and all-round great bloke Plus a bunch of new bike reviews: Ducati’s Multistrada V4 Pike Peak Honda’s NT1100 tourer Ducati’s ‘new’ Multistrada V2 S

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, and episode 147 of the world’s most motorcycling podcast performed by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves, supported by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and www.bikesocial.co.uk, the number one place on the web to carbon capture all the info fit to eat on anything to do with news, new bikes reviews, gear guides and kit tests, used bike info and all manner of racing stuff.  So on this episode of Front End Chatter we have a trundle on about: a new MotoGP champion, a retiring MotoGP champion and a MotoGP champion returning to form why are there no mean, moody bastards in racing any more, and do we miss them? WSB's knobbled Kawasakis and does it undermine the legitimacy of Yamaha's success?  Ducati's shock entry into the MotoE world cup new bike news including Honda's NT1100, Suzuki's GSX-S1000 GT, Ducati's Multistrada V2 and Triumph's Tiger 600 Sport good lids for oblong heads what are the best and worst adventure bikes to take on a track?  All this and mor

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter E146, the UK’s most iambically pentametered motorcycling podcast, poetically performed and produced by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves, and perennially supported by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and www.bikesocial.co.uk, the happeningiest place to go for offers, deals and square meals – if you can buy it for your bike or your riding life, you can get discounts and cool points with Bennetts BikeSocial. Fact. And on this episode of FEC we have: Bagnaia and Bastianini go big in Misano, plus a bit of wow from Aragon the week before A look at the career of Chaz Davies, who’s called WSB a day, so... see you at Darley Moor Suzuki’s new GSX-S1000 GT – is it good value or not, and should we be excited or not? Ducati’s Desert-X – a Multistrada in an off-road frock? Or an entirely new ‘middleweight’ adventure bike (we don’t invent these categories... oh, hang on, we do) Triumph’s new Tiger 1200, with a T-plane crank, and how it’ll fare against BMW’s R1250 GS –

Hello and go away to Front End Chatter, the UK’s most motorcycling podcast featuring aural nonsense from Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves. This is episode 145, supported and nourished by Bennetts Bike Social; so much more than just bike – and now car – insurance: check out their website to discover the multifarious munificent benefits of membership. And, if you’re at all interested in Yamaha’s Tracer 9 GT v Triumph’s Tiger 900 GT Pro v BMW’s F900XR v Kawasaki’s Versys 1000 SE GT, check out the road test video at https://youtu.be/C5SJO6trgz8 Anyway, on this week’s moany, miserable-ass FEC we have: on-the-scenes goss from the British MotoGP at Silverstone, including why Mufga loved being there on Saturday and Simon hated it Dorna’s race feed going down just before the race Marquez crashing out *again* and why he’s the crashingiest rider this season Aprilia’s... we can’t call it a resurrection so let’s just call it an erection... WSB gets a mention with some fab racing from Magny Cours – and some scanda

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter Episode 144, Britain’s – nay, the world’s – most irreverent motorcycling podcast, with Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves. Thanks as ever to Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and BikeSocial.co.uk, the world of motorcycling on the web, for their unwavering support (especially while the new wing of Chatter Manors is built).   And on this week’s episode we have: what year would Kenny Roberts Snr have retired if he’d had Rossi’s career longevity? excerpts from the Secret Diary Of Maverick Vinales, Age 14 and a half, and does he need sympathy or a stiff talking-to, or possibly both? ...but if you think Vinales’ behaviour is odd, wait until you hear what Miguel Oliveira’s been up to ...and we finally get an explanation as to why Rossi’s not come first for ages plus, the will-they/won’t-they Isle Of Wight road race saga continues ex-Norton boss Stuart Garner is in the dock Triumph’s new half-faired sporty-ish Speed Triple 1200RR... ...and Triumph’s also new Tiger

Welcome, friends, to Front End Chatter E143 – the one hundred and forty third time Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves, some-time motorcycle journalists past and present, have sat, stood and otherwise presented themselves before a pair of microphones and spoken unto them, sometimes with funny accents.  And special thanks to our sponsors and friends at Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and www.bikesocial.co.uk where you can find new bike news, racing, buying guides, used reviews, and gear guides – and don't forget their Youtube channel! And on this episode of Front End Chatter: The GOATI (Greatest Of All Time Ish) announces his retirement: not a moment too soon, or wailing and gnashing of teeth? all the spills and thrills... yes, count them... from the Styrian MotoGP, let’s call it Austria #1 between friends Aprilia’s new Tuareg 660, the third model in the popular parallel twin series, picked apart on paper if you could buy your first bike back now, would you restore it to its original condition

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter E142, and right up front please accept sincere apologies for the lousy sound quality – the usual recording room at Chatter Manors has been flooded by an unfortunate incident involving a blockage in the sceptic tank and Ron, the missing handyman, who, it transpires, is in fact the blockage. Thus Simon and Martin have been forced to squeeze into the only room in Chatter Manors that isn't knee-deep in effluent – which is, ironically, the downstairs toilet complete with its unfavourable podcasting acoustics. It might have an echo but at least it's not swimming in raw sewerage. Although some might suggest the two have a lot in common.   None of this is the fault of Britain's best bike insurance specialists, Bennetts, nor indeed BikeSocial, who both are blissfully unaware of the infernal plumbing irregularities plaguing Chatter Manors. Anyway, assuming you can tolerate the infuriating slapback delay, here's what's in store on FEC this week: • Isle Of Wight Races are back on

Hello and welcome to E141 of that Front End Chatter they have nowadays, spoken with words by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves and supported, enabled and legitimised by our fwends at Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists (and yes, they will insure a Tuono!), and Bike Social, the bike club that gives you access to discounts, track days, events and competitions – as well as running the most up-to-date and informative biking website and YouTube channel, at www.bikesocial.co.uk And on this episode we have:  • how Suzuki's Hayabusa is still the go-to bike for old-school performance • how Suzuki's revamped 2021 GSX-S1000 is much, much better than the previous version • why WSB might be worth watching • how Norton are still getting it wrong • does Harley-Davidson's history of 'breakout' models bode ill for the Pan America? • are UK bikers more conformist these days? • do riders from different countries ride differently? All this and much much more! Thanks for listening, and please keep your thoughts, q

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter Episode 140 – in which Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves (supported and nurtured by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and www.bikesocial.co.uk, the world of biking on the web) natter at length about: the Dutch TT at Assen and very much about the future of one Maverick Vinales – and where *is* his head at? BMW’s new R1300GS and why it might not be what everyone thinks it might be news of Mufga’s SV650 renovation which sporty middleweight twin for the larger gent and costing around £8000 which regular commuter middleweight what’s the best way to park a bike upright that isn’t a paddock stand? when do you tell a mechanically incompetent friend not to touch his bike? ...and much, much more... Thanks for listening, please tell your friends and spread the FEC word, thanks again to Bennetts and www.bikesocial.co.uk – and: Send your thoughts, musings, arguments and questions to: anything@frontendchatter.com And get Simon and Mufga here on the socials:  @SimonH

Hello and welcome to episode 139 of Front End Chatter, the marvellous motorcycling podcast supported and, indeed, buoyed by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and www.bikesocial.co.uk, the world of motorcycling on the web. And on FEC this week we have: • young Fabio’s habit of getting his boobs out, and the propriety of doing it on the last laps of a MotoGP race plans to livestream the 2022 TT, plus more racing in 2023 where we stand on Ana Carrasco’s balls Simon’s latest headphone revelations Plus! more on where to your feet when you’re riding if you haven’t got a bike, are you still a biker? what would you do and where would you ride if you knew you had limited time left? are electric bikes *really* green or is it just a great big hypocrisy? And much, much more! Thanks for listening, please support Bennetts and www.bikesocial.co.uk with your patronage, email your thoughts, questions and musings to: anything@frontendchatter.com And catch us on Twitter and Insta @SimonHBikes @Mufga

Hello and benvenuto to Front End Chatter, Britain’s most tardy motorcycling podcast with Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves. And why not. And, lest we forget, grazie to our wonderfully benevolent benefactors Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, from who you can secure not only, some say, the most competitive insurance premiums in the business, but who also are the only bike insurers who plough so much back into motorcycling – where do you want your cash to go? Into the pockets of fat cat shareholders using retired racers as a PR stunt for an existing bike insurance broker? Or actually back into motorcycling and, full disclosure, into our pockets? Right, on Episode 138 of FEC we natter about: MotoGP from Mugello, in which the racing was overshadowed by the death of Moto3 talent Jason Dupasquier in qualifying. But the racing went ahead anyway: should it? Plus why can't Marc Marquez and Alex Rins stay upright?  we also natter about Yamaha’s R7 (we wuz rite) why southern Italy is a cool place to ride

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter Episode 137 in the long-running series of 137 so far, in which Simon H and Mufga, a pair of motorcycling outfluencers, talk about motorbikes and motorcycling – and are supported in their endeavour by the mighty Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and www.bikesocial.co.uk, the wonderful world of widing on the web. In this episode we have: MotoGP from Portugal, wherein did Marc Marquez return to the fray and managed to score more points in one race than Valentino Rossi has in the first three. And although his body may be weak, it took but a few minutes to discover the Marquez spirit is still strong. a brief summation of a first ride on KTM’s new 1290 Super Adventure S a few impressions from the first big trips on Suzuki’s 2021 Hayabusa and Mufga’s final road test (maybe for a while, maybe not) on Aprilia’s Tuono 660 how hot is too hot to ride a bike? best tourer for a six-footer with a sportsbike background? why a Kawasaki KLX230 might the answer to reliving your bi

Hello and welcome to Episode 136 of Front End Chatter, the UK's most chocolatey motorcycling podcast.  Thank you to Bennetts, the suspenders to our stockings, and www.bikesocial.co.uk, the internet's repository of all that is wise and current about motorcycling. A And in this episode Simon and Martin rattle on about:  • MotoGP is back! Two races from Qatar, a veritable oasis of human rights, and a few lefts, in the desert – where, true to current MotoGP form, there is literally and metaphorically no form book.  • Suzuki's Hayabusa gets ragged up a runway fo some speed figures, and reveals the result of its engine changes • Triumph unveil the TE-1 – their electric Speed Triple [it's not a triple - Ed] and even cynics are taking an interest [will the first test be written by Sir Alan Cathode? Hahhaahha – Ed] • and a deep dive into the FEC sack, with wide ranging questions such as: • which Scrambler is the best? • are there any bike models in which the bike with the smaller engine is better than its bigger brot

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, the world’s most self-deprecating motorcycling podcast in which, for the 135th time, Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons talk two wheels into a microphone. FEC is supported by Bennetts, Britain’s best bike insurance specialists, and www.bikesocial.co.uk, the web’s central repository of all the news, new bike reviews, product tests and touring info worth a read. And on this week’s FEC we have: the season hasn’t even begun yet, but MotoGP testing from Qatar has already produced a long list of winners and losers, and raised more questions than it answered: will Dovi race an Aprilia this season? when will Marc Marquez return? who will be Yamaha’s top rider? will this be Rossi’s last season? Plus we have gossip about: a potential return for the R7 name, but not as we know it when buying a crash helmet, do you get better protection the more you spend? is a KTM SUperDuke GT a better sports tourer than a Kawasaki Z1000SX or a new Yamaha Tracer 9 GT? where should we put

Hello and welcome to Episode 134 of Front End Chatter, the UK's most scatterbrained motorcycling podcast featuring the musical talents of Martin 'Maverick Not Vinales' Fitz-Gibbons and Simon 'Iceberg Lettuce' Hargreaves. Apparently it's the seventh anniversary of Front End Chatter. Happy birthday to us.   We are enabled and besotted with Bennetts, the Bike Insurance specialists – yes, ask them nicely and they'll do their best to help, as proven by Mufga – and www.bikesocial.co.uk, the world of motorcycling on the web.  And on this week's episode we chatter about:  • which bikes from the 1990s Performance Bikes archives did *exactly* 134.0mph? • Harley-Davidson's Pan Am adventure bike and what we can glean from the – let's not be coy – frankly amazing spec. Is it too good to be true? And is it ugly or good-looking?  • the return of Buell, which probably isn't actually • Keanu Reeves' virtual sex • Suzuki's Hayabusa, with an explanation by Suzuki as to why it makes less power – and does it matter?  • will the