Front End Chatter

24/01/2025

Hello moi luverly FECers and this, believe it or not, is Front End Chatter episode 208 in a long-running series with him, believe it or not, Martin Fitz-Gibbons, and him, believe it or not, Simon Hargreaves.

Believe it or not, you should get your bike insurance from Bennetts, Britain’s best bike insurers and supporters of Front End Chatter since 1894, with massive range of savings and offers on all sorts of kit and caboodle, plus lots of cool policy add-ons like 90 days EU cover and common mods (like road legal exhausts) covered – as standard!

And you also get free BikeSocial membership (which you can also buy for £60 regardless of your insurer), which gives you access to all the above offers and savings, plus VIP experiences, cheap track days; the list goes on. And don’t forget to visit bikesocial.co.uk and their YouTube channel for all your biking media consumption needs.

And – last few rooms remaining on the FEC Highland Fling 2 – yes, ride Scotland’s greatest hits this May with Simon and Martin, enjoying the best of the NC500, the best of the West Coast, and a romp through the Cairngorms, all while staying at the Aultguish Inn and partaking of libation in the evening.

The dates for Fling 2 are arrival Tuesday May 6th, departure Saturday May 10th. Visit bit.ly/fecfling2 for more info!

And on that note, what’s actually in the podcast? I’d tell you but, honestly, on this occasion it’s easier to just listen!

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/podcasts/fec-episode-208

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09/01/2025

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain’s physics-bendingiest motorcycling podcast, a vision formed when eccentric inventors Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons slipped off a toilet seat and banged their heads on a sink. This is episode #207 which, as always, is powered by the suitcase of stolen plutonium that is Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and BikeSocial.co.uk, the first place you should point your browser for used-bike buying guides, in-depth product reviews, new-bike technical analysis, the week’s hotted two-wheels deals, plus so much more.

And this week, in the absence of much going on in the biking world (other than Simon squeezing Christmas lunch into the panniers of a Triumph Tiger, and Mufga squeezing Christmas lunch into himself several times over), FEC takes a twenty-year trip back in time, back to January 2005, or more specifically the January 2005 issue of Bike magazine. A time when Britain was obsessed with sportsbikes, when Mufga was obsessed with dataloggers, and when Simon was obsessed by Troy Lee decals. How times have changed.

Come between the covers with us (ahem) as Simon and Mufga spill the goss on how Britain’s biggest-selling bike magazine was cobbled together 20 years ago, including:

• Yamaha’s MT-01 – what it was, why it was made, whether it was a flop, and why Si had to push one down a hill

• KTM’s 990 Super Duke – why it came with the rudest promo video ever, and whether it’d take KTM from unknowns to the biggest brand in Europe

• Yamaha YZF-R6 – why a new set of forks and brakes made Si visit a burger van in the Peak District

• Ducati Monster S2R – why it made Mufga bar-hop through Monte Carlo, and why a WSB legend flicked the Vs at Chippy Wood, Bike’s own legend

• Plus the creeping rise of nostalgia in motorcycling; one of the ugliest group tests ever put on paper; the questionably relevance of riding MotoGP bikes; and a plethora of predictions gone horribly wrong.

We hope you enjoy our spectacularly self-indulgent trip down memory lane. If you do, let us know which era we should revisit next by emailing the usual address – and if you don’t, then instead email us with your thoughts, questions, observations, wonderings, ponderings about all things two-wheeled, modern or historical, for us to waffle about this year.

Thank you for listening, and we hope to see you in Scotland on FEC Highland Fling ( #1 & #2) in May, and/or the FECstival in October!

👇
https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/podcasts/fec-episode-207

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04/01/2025

(Better late than never…)

Hello and welcome to E206 of Front End Chatter, the UK's most Christmassy (he means 'Festive' – Ed) motorcycling podcast, brought to you gift-wrapped in last week's MCN by Simon Humbug Hargreaves and Martin Ho Ho Ho Fitz-Gibbons, supported as ever by the bike insurance baubles at Bennetts, and their multimedia minions at BikeSocial.co.uk. Get your insurance with Bennetts because their industry-wide offers and discounts will pay you back big time in 2025. Become a BikeSocial Member, take advantage, get involved, come to a discounted trackday and keep your eyes on your inbox for amazing events with which you can get involved.

And on this week's FEC we have:

• our fave bikes of 2024 (and a few of 2025)

• more KTM woes, plus does talking about it make it worse?

• the last new bike news of 2024, Ducati's down-sized V2 Multi

• plus a whole heap of nattering on topics raised by you, the FECers, sent in via email to the FEC-Sac

Please keep your thoughts and ideas and musings and fantasies coming in!

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/podcasts/fec-episode-206

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09/12/2024

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain’s premium motorcycling podcast, hosted by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves. This is episode 205, probably, and is supported in its endeavours by Bennetts, the 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.

And on this week’s FEC we natter about

• Motorcycle Live – was it any good, what was the vibe, any hot takes?

• KTM – more financial woes, and they thought chocolate cams were bad...

• Why the Govt’s failure to have plans to encourage the use of motorcycles isn’t the bad news it might sound like...

• …but we can’t still use all bus lanes

• plans to introduce a blanket 50mph speed limit on Scottish single-lane carriageways

• when is depreciation slight enough to make an upgrade worthwhile?

• some EV stuff Simon doesn’t understand

Plus loads... well, *some* more… 👇
https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/podcasts/fec-episode-205

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19/11/2024

For anyone who's at Motorcycle Live today (Tuesday 19th), Si & Mufga will be part of the Black Horse Big Quiz at 2.10pm, and chatting with James Whitham at 3.15pm. See you there!

16/11/2024

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain's nerdiest motorcycling podcast with him Martin Fitz-Gibbons, and him, Simon Hargreaves, supported in our double century of biking chatter by Bennetts, the UK's best bike insurance bods of whom let it not be said by any man nor woman nor anyone in between that they take the money and thank you very much. Bennetts put more back into biking than any other insurance company by an absolute country mile, and that's a fact. For example, there's BikeSocial.co.uk, the website with the news, reviews and booze, and Bennetts' mighty YouTube channel with tons of cool consumer content, and bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk – a forum to ask your questions and find your answers.

Right, welcome to Episode 200 – or not, as it turns out – of the podcast... and to be honest, it's a tough listen. For a start, we're both a bit under the weather, and then we completely geek-out over a three-cylinder Honda concept bike for like, about an hour, of informed speculation (him) and idle ignorance (me).

We also mention a few other things, like Suzuki's wonderful new (no, they really are) DR-Z4 and DR-Z4SM – a pair of deliciously simple green-lane and urban supermoto 400cc singles. Yes please.

We also natter about KTM's ongoing financial woes, plus the revamped 1390 SDGT and 390 Adventure. And a few other new bikes, and more musings from the FECsack – please keep your missives, thoughts, queries and offers of help with the garden coming to the usual address.

Thank you for making it this far, and fingers crossed we won't be quite so ill and tedious on the next one. Aye!

👇
https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/podcasts/fec-episode-200

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12/11/2024

FEC at the NEC is back for 2024, and nobody's more surprised about that than us.

Here's hoping it's fourth time lucky as Mufga and Simon once again try to avoid making a National Exhibition of themselves, while bringing a little Front End Chatter to Motorcycle Live at Birmingham's glittering NEC.

The one and only Jim Jamie Jimmy James Whitham will be "welcoming" FEC to the Black Horse Stage on Tuesday 19th November, timing TBC.

Hope to see you there!

07/11/2024

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04/11/2024

Hello and welcome to Episode 199 of Front End Chatter, Britain’s Longest-Running Motorcycling Podcast, spoken out loud by motorcycle journalists Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons. They, and indeed it, are is am supported by Bennetts, Britain’s Best Bike Insurer, and BikeSocial, the web’s best motorcycling, er, website.

And on this episode the boys natter at interminable length about a whole bunch of new bikes, including but not limited to:

• Honda’s revamped X-ADV adventure scoot

• Honda’s remarkably priced Hornet 1000 and Hornet 1000 SP

• Triumph’s hits-the-spot Tiger Sport 800

• KTM’s 1390 Super Adventure S Evo

• Ducati’s new V2 engine – and what models it might end up in

• plus a bit of a natter about Yamaha’s Y-AMT auto gearbox and KTM’s AMT auto gearbox, and wonder what the point is and lament the fact several flagship models are only available as autos

• plus a few missives from the FEC Sack re KTM cams

Thanks very much for listening, please email in your questions, queries, thoughts, gags and corrections to anything@frontendchatter (and it really *has* to specifically be ‘anything’)

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15/10/2024

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14/10/2024

Hello and welcome, dearest FECers, to Front End Chatter, Britain’s best and boldest and brightest biking podcast, bringing a little ray of motorcycling sunshine into the darker corners of your motorcycling minds, hosted by him, the man with the resting disposition of a flattened hedgehog, Martin Fitz-Gibbons, and him, the man with the resting heart-rate of an amphetamine-addled Zebedee, Simon Hargreaves.

We are as always, healed by Dr Bennetts, Britain’s best bike insurer. He’s got a clean bill of health, fit as a fiddle, always ready with a cheery smile to offer a whole host of discounts and money-off deals on biking kit and caboodle, as well as competitions and discounted track days. And if you’re insured with someone else, become a Bikesocial Member in the meantime to take advantage of all that stuff.

And you know how in the old days in a doctor’s waiting room you had piles of magazines to look at? Well with Bennetts, you get bikesocial.co.uk, the world of motorcycling on the web, plus their YouTubes channel. Gor blimey guv, innit.

And on today's FEC we have an actual proper, serious, piece of journalism: Mufga has grilled KTM bosses about the 790 LC8c cam issue – what's caused it, how many bikes are affected, which bikes are affected and how they're planning on putting it right. You can only hear it, er, here, on Front End Chatter.

If you or any member of your family has been affected by the issues raised on today's Front End Chatter, please email [email protected].

Also on today's 2-hour extravaganza:

• Yamaha's new R9 supersports is finally here!

• Honda's revamped NT1100 gets Africa Twin-bling!

• Kawasaki's Ninja 1100SX get less power!

• Triumph's new Trident 660 gets louder paint!

Plus an aggregation of your thoughts, musing and ponderings sent in, as always, to [email protected]

Thanks for listening, please like and subscribe or whatever it is you kids do these days, and be kind.

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/podcasts/fec-episode-198

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08/10/2024

Hybrid motorcycling: the first (and last?) 1500 miles...

Can petrol and electric really work together on a motorcycle?

30/09/2024

Hello boys and girls, and welcome to Episode 197 of Front End Chatter, a motorcycling-themed podcast spoken out loud by Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons, very much the Yin and Yang, the Ego and the Id, the – if you will – Laurel and Hardy of motorcycle journalism.

We are supported as ever by our compadres Bennetts, Britain's best bike insurer (which I think we've basically established as fact, now) and bikesocial.co.uk, the most amazingly comprehensive motorcycling website on the, er, web. And not forgetting, as if we could, bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk – the place to speak your motorcycling brains.

And on this episode of FEC we have:
• exhaustive details of Ducati's new Multistrada
• extensive details of Kawasaki's new Versys 1100
• executive details of the recall notice for Kawasaki's Ninja hybrid
• exemplary details of Triumph's new Speed Twin 1200
• economic details of KTM's woes
• plus your questions, queries, thoughts and musings from the FECSack – please send your missives and misgivings to the usual address and we'll get round to reading it out in six months' time. Probably.

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/podcasts/fec-episode-197

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12/09/2024

In case you missed us/it

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09/09/2024

Plug in your headphones & have a listen

09/09/2024

Hello friends and welcome to episode 196 of the long-running but desperately sporadic motorcycling podcast otherwise known as Front End Chatter, hosted by its own petards, Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves.

As ever, we are mightily humbled to be supported and nourished by Bennetts, the UK's leading motorcycle insurer, and bikesocial.co.uk, where all your biking needs – and, indeed, nerds – are well met.

And on this episode of FEC we chatter about:

• the rise and rise of Chinese adventure bikes – Kove, Voge and CFMoto to name but three – and are they any good and how long do they last?

• can riding bikes be TOO easy?

• what's it like riding a Multistrada the entire length of the A1?

• and loads of other stuff, including a healthy rummage through the FEC Sack of your emails and questions.

Thanks for listening, please come back for more and tell yer mates about FEC, and see you on the next one!

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/podcasts/fec-episode-196

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06/08/2024

Hello and welcome to the most excellent and hospitable Buccleuch Arms Hotel in Moffat, where we're bringing you a live episode of Front End Chatter in front of a special audience of FECers – yes folks, this is FEC Up The Borders 2024!

Thanks as always to our cyberspace hosts Bennetts, the UK's best bike insurers, and bikesocial.co.uk, the UK's best biking website - and a very big thanks to Dave and his team at the Buccleuch Arms in Moffat for extraordinary hosting.

And on this live, unscripted, unprepared and generally ad hoc episode of FEC, we have a bunch of questions from our live audience including:

• Pamela's interface with a Honda Rebel seat,

• exactly how long is it since Fazer John actually had a Fazer,

• how does Stuart's R1M feel on the B709,

• has the curse of the Simon struck yet again on a FEC Tour,

• how well does an Africa Twin camouflage in bracken,

and much much – well, some – more...

Thanks to Paul and Jo at the amazing MCI Motorcycle Tours for being the grown-ups in the room, and – maybe maybe – see you on the next FEC Tour in 2025?

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/podcasts/fec-episode-195

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