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Front End Chatter

By: Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons
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  • Summary

  • Britain's best biking podcast, with Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons
    Copyright Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons
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Episodes
  • Front End Chatter #191

    Front End Chatter #191
    May 9 2024
    Greetings, podcast pilgrims, and welcome to Front End Chatter - just like having a fun chat down the pub with your mates about bikes, only without the drinks, or the ability for you to say anything back, or your actual real-life mates being involved. Or the fun, come to think of it. Alright, so it's nothing like having a fun chat down the pub with your mates, and much more like earwigging in on a pair of motorcycling mid-life crises unfolding in real time, mixed in with the odd history lesson pinched shamelessly from Wikipedia, half a badly photocopied GCSE maths exam paper, and a few swear words. Still, after 190-odd of these things it's somehow gathered enough momentum that neither of us knows where the handbrake is. And so in episode #191 of this moss-dodging rolling stone, Simon and Mufga cover: • KTM's return to building sportsbikes, in the thinly camouflaged guise of the new 990 RC R, heading to a Supersport race series near you • MotoGP's plans to drop two dress sizes by summer, slim down those aero love handles and give their saggy rear ends a long-overdue lift • Yamaha's XSR900GP, which proves it can delight everyone from Rose-Tinted Racers to Portuguese school kids • Husqvarna's Svartpilen 801, which also stirs together dollops of the past, present and future like a timeline trifle • BMW's new Automated Shift Assistant tech and, perhaps more intriguingly, which as-yet-unannounced (but possibly already-photographed) bike it'll debut on • Whether one bike exists that could possibly replace a listener's pretty awesome-sounding three-bike garage • What motorcycling experiences you'd want to experience if your body had just a few years of riding left in it • Why tyres dare to demonstrate so alarmingly little respect for mathematical consistency • Whether hip replacements and motorcycles go together like a femoral head and an acetabulum If you get through all that and are thirsty for more, don't forget to like and rate and subscribe and leave a comment and tag a friend and all the rest, but most importantly do remember the great and benevolent Bennetts the next time your motorcycle insurance is due. Go on, they're Britain's best bike insurers, and if you get your insurance direct from them you'll also get free BikeSocial membership, which is statistically possible to make your motorcycling year both better and cheaper by virtue of its capacious catalogue of discounts, deals, experiences, offers, opportunities and more! As always, if you're on the X-stagram socials you can find us lurking at @SimonHbikes and @Mufga And if you're reading this in May 2024, it's not quite too late to join us on our incredible Viva FECspana tour - head to bit.ly/fecspain Peace, love and understanding x
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    1 hr and 49 mins
  • Front End Chatter #190

    Front End Chatter #190
    Apr 22 2024

    Hello everyone, two, three here we go and welcome to Front End Chatter episode 190 in series one of Britain's best (or at least longest-running) podcast-flavoured semi-occasional long-form motorcycling nattertainment, no thanks to him, Simon Hargreaves, and even less to him, Martin Fitz-Gibbons.

    FEC has been FECing for a whole FECing decade now, mostly thanks to two things: not knowing when to quit; and the tireless support and encouragement and assistance of Bennetts, easily Britain's best bike insurers. You need some of that motorcycle insurance they have these days? Actually, that's not really a question. You need some of that motorcycle insurance they have these days! And you should head directly to Bennetts.co.uk to get it, or at least get a quote for it. Not only are they wonderful people who put back in the bike industry (like, cough, this load of free ear-muck), but if you buy your policy direct you'll get a year's free BikeSocial membership, which unlocks all manner of exclusive discounts, competitions, offers and experiences like some kind of cheat code for your wallet.

    And in this episode, we have:

    - Honda's new E-Clutch, ridden and rated - have Honda finally figured out a way to overthrow the manual transmission after nearly 70 years of trying?
    - Triumph Tiger 1200 - only two years old and already updated, well a bit, but also a hell of a lot.
    - BMW R1300GS - what's it like compared to the R1250GS, and what will BMW do with the Adventure?

    And a hearty shuffle through the bulging FECsack, including
    * Street Triple - standard or R?
    * Guess the shaft-drive, garage-wood inducing tourer
    * How long do helmets really last, really?
    * The Biking Ladder - is it a load of tosh?
    * Fun bikes for occasionally taking a pillion (who may or may not be fun)
    * Best tyres for a Tenere
    * Credit where Viva FECspana credit is (over)due

    Please keep topping our FECsack up by emailing your thoughts, wonderings, ponderings and observances to anything@frontendchatter.com

    And it's not too late to join us on a 10-day biking tour of a lifetime! Viva FECspana takes in amazing best roads in France and Spain, fab company and lush hotels. Don't miss out on the highlight of your summer - bit.ly/fecspain

    And, as ever, find us on the socials: @SimonHbikes and @Mufga
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    1 hr and 51 mins
  • Front End Chatter #189

    Front End Chatter #189
    Mar 20 2024

    Welcome ladies, gentlemens and ornithologists, to Front End Chatter – episode 189 of Britain's favouritest motorcycling podcast presented by him, Simon Hargreaves, and him, Martin Fitz-Gibbons.

    This pod is, as ever, nurtured and natured by Bennetts, the gorram best bike insurers in 'verse, with their wealth of offers, discounts and competitions – and BikeSocial.co.uk, the website & YouTube channel with all the latest news, views, road tests and consumer info.

    And on this episode of FEC we have:
    • Martin's experience riding the Triumph Daytona 660 at its recent launch
    • Simon's experience riding the Moto Gutzi V85TT at its recent launch
    • Norton victims get some of their money back
    • KTM assume control of MV Agusta
    • and lots more – I mean, if I list it all here it's a bit of a plot spoiler so download the pod and have a listen, is the idea

    Please email your thoughts, queries and general comments – in fact anything at all, even poetry – to:
    anything@frontendchatter.com

    Please have a think about coming on tour with us: FECspana will be a glorious ten-day ride across France and Spain with a select group of FECers riding the finest roads, tasting the finest wines and eating the finest food. We'd love to have you along.
    Go to www.bit.ly/fecspain for more info.

    Reach us at:
    @SimonHBikes
    @Mufga
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    1 hr and 38 mins
Sports & Outdoors
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