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Front End Chatter

Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons

Britain's best biking podcast, with Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons

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  • 224 episodes
  • Updated Yesterday
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Episodes224

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  • Jul 11, 2016 · 1 hr 18 min

    Front End Chatter #45

    Welcome to Front End Chatter E45 featuring not much racing, shock, partly because there hasn't been much since E44 but mostly because we didn't actually watch what there was. Which, as it turns out, was a wet Assen MotoGP (always a pleasure, never a chore). So we talk about a race we didn't see, plus wings they aren't going to use for a safety concern (or issue) they may or may not have. It's just like actually being there, only with your eyes closed and with fingers in your ears. We also find time to chunter about: BMW's 2017 F700 and F800GS with thrilling new Euro 4 compliance Ducati's 939 SuperSport sporty sportsbike that fills the gaping hole in their range for a non-entry level, non-track day road sporty sportsbike Yamaha's MT-07-based 700 Tracer that has the same performance as a 1992 TDM850 but at a fraction of the price Triumph's rumoured 765cc Street Triple roady sportsbike-ish The recently opened David Silver Honda Collection based near Ipswich, for fans of vintage Hondas The very excellent Champions Flat Track School, run by our mate Boastie, which introduces noobs to the noble art of going slideways Plus! Some of your emails, including more on BMW ESA suspension replacement/service info, the absence of Irish bike MOTs, why the bloke at the back of a group ride always ends up speeding, and more! Thanks for listening, keep writing in, spread the word among your friends, and visit us on Twitter (@SimonHbikes and @Mufga) or Facebook. And you can purchase Front End Chatter merch here: www.tshirtstudio.com/marketplace/front-end-chatter

  • Jun 23, 2016 · 1 hr 6 min

    Front End Chatter #44

    Welcome to Front End Chatter #44, in which Mufga and SiH talk about a couple of MotoGP races that happened ages ago – and including the tragic loss of Moto2's Luis Salom at Catalunya, the slightly unedifying fallout, the race itself with torpedoes and last lap thrills, and a very necessary handshake to cap it all off. We also natter about TT racing – and in our excitement over the difference between letting a MotoGP bike race in the Superbike class but chucking out a rider for coated cam buckets in another, completely neglect to offer condolences to the family and friends of lost riders Dwight Beare, Ian Bell, Paul Shoesmith, Andrew Soar and Dean Martin. Which we do here. Mufga and Si also discover the joys of Bluetooth headsets, muck about in Wales on BMW's GS Challenge, ride KTM's 1290 GT (for the next issue of Bike magazine) and chunter about BMW's R1200 GSA v KTM's Super Adventure v Triumph's new Explorer v Ducati's new Multistrada Enduro (check it out in a forthcoming issue of Ride magazine). No spoilers. Ok, maybe just a couple. After all that, we run out of time to read out your emails so they'll be in the next episode of FEC, out sometime next week. Blimey. Love and rockets, email us on anything@frontendchatter.com, Tweet us on @SimonHbikes or @Mufga, check out Facebook, and buy T-shirts and stuff from somewhere. Follow the link on www.frontendchatter.com

  • May 9, 2016 · 1 hr 29 min

    Front End Chatter #43

    Welcome to Front End Chatter E43, brought to you in association with the enjoy-while-it-lasts British summer. In this episode, Simon and Mufga chatter about: • results and matter arising from Jerez and Le Mans MotoGP including Brad Binder's hooky software issues in Moto3, Rossi's lauded flag to flag win, Lorenzo's flag-to-flag win that no-one cares about, synchronised crashing, more wings and things, being beaten up by a tangerine, and even more about who goes where, and who's talking about who's going where, in 2017. And why. And are you Team BTSport or Team MCN/MotoMatters? • Chaz Davies' WSB double for Ducati in Imola and a great weekend's racing at Oulton Park in BSB • a world first podcast review of TomTom's new Rider 410 sat nav, plus a bit of Garmin Navigator Street • loads more emails and questions covering topics as diverse (I nearly said 'perverse') as Circuit Of Wales, fantasy British MotoGP tracks, burying bodies, dropping other bodies on their heads, crashing a Desmosedici into a pig, best MotoGP books, Marquez' strategy for crashing, riding in fear, riding faster in groups, and what could possibly go wrong with 30,000-mile BMW ESA suspension? Thanks for your time, please subscribe on iTunes, tell your friends and tell them to tell their friends about FEC, write emails to motorcycle manufacturers explaining how important FEC is in your buying decisions, check FEC out on Facebook, follow @SimonHbikes and @Mufga on Twitter, buy stuff from our shop (www.tshirtstudio.com/marketplace/front-end-chatter) and all that other stuff. We are genuinely flattered, humbled and grateful for your wonderful emails, Tweets and downloads.

  • Apr 8, 2016 · 1 hr 7 min

    Front End Chatter #42

    I dunno, you wait ages for an episode of Front End Chatter, and then two come along at once. Welcome to FEC#42, which is (almost) solely devoted to reading your emails and answering your questions on subjects as wide-ranging as:• riding the B500 in The Black Forest Gateaux, a nice road in Croatia, and what's the best off-road bike for a father and son (like we'd know) • why a 2 x British world champ is doing a bit of half-naked Turkish oil wrestling on TV but isn't coming across as a nob • choosing between a BMW R1200RT and a Suzuki GSX1250FA• whether a Honda VFR400 handles better than a Ducati 748 - or a modern sportsbike • on-bike tracking systems for £13• how the risk of riding a bike could put you off riding altogether• what bike manufacturers get from racing• why F1 cars blow up more than MotoGP bikes Plus, a bit more natter about Circuit Of Wales wrangles and other bits and bobs. Please don't make me listen to it again just to fill this bit out. Thanks for downloading, please leave a review on iTunes and/or subscribe, and join in with Front End Chatter on Facebook, or on Twitter: @SimonHbikes and @MufgaYou can also visit www.frontendchatter.com, follow the links and purchase T-shirts, key-rings, mugs and mouse mats.

  • Apr 7, 2016 · 1 hr 9 min

    Front End Chatter #41

    We're back! After a prolonged absence, which we find is the best kind, Front End Chatter returns with post-Argentina MotoGP gossip – and, let's face it, it had the lot: tyres, crashes, more tyres, boo-ing, early silly season, and some highly ill-informed nonsense about reverse-spinning cranks. Plus, Martin (him) and Simon (me) natter about some new bikes we've ridden, and where you can read about them. Ish. Thanks for listening, and thanks for remembering we exist. The next episode will be along shortly. x

  • Feb 19, 2016 · 1 hr 6 min

    Front End Chatter #40

    Episode 40 of Front End Chatter, the Finger On The Pulse episode, comes not so much hot as slightly tepid with gossip from MotoGP testing (at Sepang, Malaysia, not Phillip Island). Fortunately, the big issues are still the same: will Casey race in 2016? Will the new Michelin tyres and retro-spec ECU mix results up this season? Will Lorenzo win the title by mid-season? When will someone first say ‘silly season’? There’s also plenty of FEC-ing tittle-tattle about: Guy Martin’s no-show at the TT this year Triumph’s new Tiger 1050 Sport 6000 houses created at the Circuit Of Wales site. Sorry, we meant ‘6000 jobs’ why splitting WSB races over two days might be a good idea why manufacturers don’t make more of their Dakar race success reviving the Transatlantic race series – good idea or not? And are any American racers good enough? Or Brits, come to that are anti-theft bike tracking systems a good idea or a bit ‘after the fact’? does a near-miss take the shine off biking? is it okay to still like being a biker, but go off actually riding bikes? choosing between a Suzuki Bandit 1250 (too old school?), Kawasaki Versys 650 (too tame?) or a Yamaha Tracer (too expensive) for hustling mountain roads, touring and commuting. Or just pick a Yamaha FZ1 Fazer. • what are the best tyres for a Yamaha XJ6? choosing the fabulous FEC theme tune. Please email questions, comments and/or abuse to: anything@frontendchatter.com Twitter us at: @SimonHbikes & @Mufga Facebook: www.facebook.com/FrontEndChatter YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCgeS_FcXLqwZgirmG2OCW0w Please visit support FEC and visit our shop for T-shirts and mugs: www.tshirtstudio.com/marketplace/front-end-chatter Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/front-end-chatter/id827471484 We're also on Android podcast apps. Thanks for listening! Keep watching for new episodes (and sorry they're so sporadic etc).Simon & Martin

  • Jan 22, 2016 · 1 hr 5 min

    Front End Chatter #39

    HelloAndWelcomeToEpisode39OfBritain'sFavouriteBikingPodcast! And breathe... In the first FEC of 2016, Simon and Martin discuss: - The Dakar Rally, who's winning, who isn't, and who's paying any attention? - All the new rules for MotoGP, whether we can predict anything before anything has happened, and whether that feller who said he doesn't want to race again will, in fact, race again. - What's going on with WSB's barely comprehensible new format, and whether it will detract from what otherwise has the potential to be a pretty great year. - Who in the BSB paddock recently failed a drugs test, who will be making a welcome return to the BSB paddock, and who in the BSB paddock has just made a pretty dramatic career change. - Plus loads and loads (and loads) of your emails frantically read, mumbled, debated and, in a few cases, answered. It's a busy one... Email us: anything@frontendchatter.comTwitter: @SimonHbikes and @MufgaFacebook: www.facebook.com/FrontEndChatterYouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCgeS_FcXLqwZgirmG2OCW0wFEC shop: www.tshirtstudio.com/marketplace/front-end-chatteriTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/front-end-chatter/id827471484

  • Dec 17, 2015 · 1 hr 3 min

    Front End Chatter #38

    Front End Chatter E38 looks back at 2015: the best bikes, the best races, the best racers, the biggest losers, and Martin and Simon's personal fave moments – plus the absence of British world champs on BBC Sports Personality Of The Year and FEC's New Year Resolutions. Have a merry Christmas, you FECers! Thanks for listening, and please get on touch on email: anything@frontendchatter.com or Twitter: @Mufga@SimonHbikes ...and try our Youtube channel!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgeS_FcXLqwZgirmG2OCW0w/videos

  • Nov 26, 2015 · 1 hr 18 min

    Front End Chatter #37

    Welcome to Front End Chatter E37 in which, now the dust has settled, Martin and Simon discuss the ramifications of that race from the point of view of someone who was in the grandstands at Valencia, and someone who had the benefit of replays on the TV (*SPOILER ALERT* hardcore Rossi fans probably shouldn't listen to this). Oh, and there's something about the NEW BRITISH WORLD CHAMPION... but we sort of forgot to mention it at the start...There's also a load of chat about 2016's most interesting new bikes (plus a couple of less interesting ones) with the usual disagreement (and one notable agreement), plus emails and exhortations to buy magazines and merchandising. Thanks for listening, and please get on touch onanything@frontendchatter.com@Mufga @SimonHbikes And if we don't speak again before Christmas (which is entirely possible), have a cracker!

  • Oct 28, 2015 · 1 hr 9 min

    Front End Chatter #36

    Welcome to Front End Chatter, Episode 36 – the Scoop/Meltdown episode – in which Martin and Simon reveal details of Triumph's 2016 range of Bonnevilles, Thruxtons and Street Twin – what they are, why they are, why they've taken so long and why there's no Scrambler. The second half of the podcast is all about who said what to whom at Phillip Island, and who subsequently rode into who at Sepang, and why Keith Huewen had better cut down on his meals for a few days and get used to the taste of Arai. It doesn't seem like much, but at least it feels much longer when you listen to it. Thanks very much for downloading, spread the word, and Visit our shop www.tshirtstudio.com/marketplace/front-end-chatter Subscribe on iTunes itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/front-end-chatter/id827471484?mt=2 Twitter us at @SimonHbikes and @MufgaCheck out our Facebook pagewww.facebook.com/FrontEndChatter And try FEC visual treats on YouTubewww.youtube.com/channel/UCgeS_FcXLqwZgirmG2OCW0w

  • Oct 15, 2015 · 1 hr 2 min

    Front End Chatter #35

    Welcome to Front End Chatter E35, which contains details of Kawasaki's forking-great 2016 ZX-10R, BMW's gravity-defying G310 concept bike (and why, if it really does break the laws of physics and hover, it also breaks the law in Britain), the ramifications of the technology-sharing pact between Honda, BMW and Yamaha, and the usual wild MotoGP speculation and gossip. Thanks for listening, and please get in touch: @SimonHbikes @Mufgaanything@frontendchatter.comAnd visit https://www.tshirtstudio.com/marketplace/front-end-chatter to get stuff.

  • Oct 7, 2015 · 1 hr 23 min

    Front End Chatter #34

    Front End Chatter E34 – the Less Than Honest Episode – in which: • Martin and Simon get their riding assessed and ride very sensibly – almost as if their livelihoods depend on it (which they do) • VW are caught cheating on US emissions tests, but are bike manufacturers doing the same? • details of Ducati's 2016 models are accidentally revealed online, by the same US emissions board who 'outed' VW (who own Audi, who own... Ducati) • Suter release a Grand Prix replica two-stroke, with an engine based on a late 1990s V4 500 motor but which mysteriously turns out to be 576cc• more MotoGP gossip in which Simon professes a sneaky change of heart and can't remember which rider it was caught on TV swapping his mouthguard for a false tooth• plus chat suggested by a selection of listeners' emails, including why are so many parallel twins about now, why Front End Chatter merchandise costs so much, why some bikers seem to hate that fashion and culture they have now, and the origins of Yamaha's speedblock paint design by someone who was there.Thank you very much for listening, please subscribe on iTunes or Android, and leave a review. You can find us here:@SimonHbikes@Mufgawww.frontendchatter.comhttps://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/front-end-chatter/id827471484?mt=2www.tshirtstudio.com/marketplace/front-end-chatterwww.facebook.com/FrontEndChatter

  • Sep 21, 2015 · 1 hr 15 min

    Front End Chatter #33

    Back to scotch rumours of its (not our) demise, Front End Chatter E33 sees a lucid Martin and hungover Simon cover a wide range of two-wheeled gossip including: Jonathan Rea’s record-breaking World Superbike title, and whether Danny Kent winning the Moto3 title might be seen as a bigger deal new bike chat about the 2016 Kawasaki ZX-10R, Honda’s Africa Twin, KTM's parallel twin, Yamaha's XSR700 and Ducati’s Monster 1200 R (and whether it is really is their most powerful naked bike ever, or if they’ve forgotten they also build the Diavel) the dubious merit of a short ad film featuring a new Triumph and the 'pseudo hipster saviour of motorcycling', Mr David Beckham the current state of the MotoGP championship, plus a review of Hitting The Apex, a film that definitely isn't about colonoscopy listeners' emails including the fine line between deliberately causing an accident on track, and just making a mistake and details of where you can purchase Front End Chatter's range of T-shirts, mugs and key rings. Blimey. Thank you for listening, and spread the FEC word!

  • Jul 21, 2015 · 1 hr 16 min

    Front End Chatter #32

    Coming to you fresh out of last week and looking all the way into next year, Front End Chatter #32 covers: - Speculation, rumour, gossip, semi-educated guesses and, in a few cases, actual established facts about the new motorcycles we can expect to see in 2016 (and 2017). - Whether BMW's new hi-tech flashing brake light gizmo is really such a bright idea. - MotoGP recap from Sachsenring, the battle for championship points still to fight, and the battle for focus Martin found himself fighting during the race. - Plenty of talk ahead of British Superbikes' crazy £50,000 scheme at Brands Hatch, including what it all has to do with Hulk Hogan. - Plus all your Tweets, emails, faxes and telegrams including two-strokes, racing at Daytona in the 1970s, racing at the TT in your 50s, the future of the 300cc sports class, and plenty more. Be a part of Britain's best motorcycle podcast by emailing your thoughts, opinions, feelings or questions to anything@frontendchatter.com. We're also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FrontEndChatter); Twitter (@SimonHbikes and @Mufga) and iTunes (bit.ly/iTunes) - where you can subscribe or download old episodes FOR FREE. And, of course, good old-fashioned www.frontendchatter.com. No animals were harmed during the making of this podcast. Apart from one dog.

  • Jun 30, 2015 · 1 hr 41 min

    Front End Chatter #31

    Britain's original motorcycle podcast is back once again with a hundred minutes of talk, discussion, argument, ill-informed rumour, shameful name-dropping and awful impressions covering: – Everything that happened at the Isle of Man TT races, including asking the question NOBODY IS EVER ALLOWED TO ASK! – All the last corner antics from the Assen round of MotoGP, including Rossi vs Marquez and Niklas Ajo vs his knees. – Whether getting the ’80s and ’90s GP band back together in Spain is a race we'd want to see in Britain – and whether it's really a race at all. – All the excitement surrounding Honda's absolutely staggering RC213VhyphenS. It's Márquez's race bike on the road! Well, apart from the engine. And the frame. And the suspension, brakes, wheels, tyres, petrol tank… – What it's like to take on 241 other BMW owners at the UK round of the BMW GS Trophy qualifying event. And, indeed, exactly what any of that actually means. – Plus all your questions and emails answered, or at least read out loud. Thank you, as always, for downloading us, subscribing to us on iTunes, liking our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/FrontEndChatter), following us on Twitter (@SimonHbikes and @Mufga), and telling everyone you know who rides a bike about the veritable audio feast that is Front End Chatter.

  • May 30, 2015 · 1 hr 1 min

    Front End Chatter #30

    Front End Chatter, Britain's best motorcycle podcast, celebrates its 30th episode with a Q&A special. This time we've passed the handlebars over to you, dear listener(s), as Simon and Martin spend a full hour finding, inventing, and in some cases, actually knowing, answers to your questions. Topics include: - Why many riders find life gets in the way of riding, often for years at a time - Are bikes getting taller? And does size (of a bike's seat height) really matter? - Is the Ducati Scrambler "completely wanky"? (Not our words...) - 10 (or so) great roads to ride in Europe (and one in Wales...) - The invention of the British SuperCeleb championship, where Hollywood (the culture) meets Hollywood (the baker) at Hollywood (the corner) - Are the DVLA being sneaky buggers, or are some people just not paying enough attention? - Plus an ex-pat makes us all feel better by bursting a few bubbles about the reality of riding in Australia Thank you for downloading and, hopefully, listening. All questions, comments, replies and general communication is welcomed to anything@frontendchatter.com You can find us on Twitter at @SimonHbikes and @Mufga or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FrontEndChatter Subscribe to Front End Chatter for free on iTunes (bit.ly/FECiTunes) or find us direct at www.frontendchatter.com

  • May 20, 2015 · 1 hr 12 min

    Front End Chatter #29

    After six weeks of sponsored silence, Britain's least-consistent motorcycle podcast is back. In episode 29, Simon and Martin discuss: - Why watching MotoGP racing is a bit like watching two walruses fighting, or a Shakepearean play, or something. - Will Valentino win the title, will Ducati win a race, and will Melandri win a point? - The North West 200 race that was won by a movie star. - The new Honda Africa Twin, and whether it would have been much, much better or much, much worse if it was more like a Varadero. - Why Royal Enfield have bought Harris (not Rolf), and whether there are any warnings to be learned from Hero investing in EBR - The passing of Geoff Dukeobe (sorry, Duke OBE) and whether TT spectators in the 1950s got better value from slower racing. Thank you very much for listening. If you like, or at least tolerate this, check out all our other podcasts at www.frontendchatter.com or search for Front End Chatter on iTunes - and subscribe! Email anything@frontendchatter.com with questions, comments and anything else, or find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FrontEndChatter) and Twitter (@SimonHbikes and @Mufga).

  • Apr 2, 2015 · 1 hr 37 min

    Front End Chatter #28

    Welcome to Front End Chatter episode 28, in which Martin and Simon: • discuss the drama of the 2015 season-opening MotoGP race from Qatar • preview (just) the upcoming 2015 season-opening British Superbike race from Donington • interview BSB Series Director Stuart Higgs in the back of a van and talk about what’s in store this year, why BSB is a success, whether the rules on electronics and the Showdown are a good thing or a bad thing, and what he regrets most after seven years in charge • ruminate on Dani Pedrosa’s poorly wrist and Casey Stoner’s unlikely MotoGP comeback • and read out listener’s emails on subjects such as Marco Melandri’s performance, why the law is an ass, the current status of Front End Chatter’s T-shirts and what we think of the current BT Sport MotoGP line-up. Hope you enjoy it; please send in your questions (verbal or written), subscribe via iTunes or Android, like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/FrontEndChatter) and talk to us on Twitter @SimonHbikes @Mufga

  • Mar 21, 2015 · 1 hr 39 min

    Front End Chatter #27

    Front End Chatter, Britain's best motorcycle podcast, considers joining The 27 Club and contains: - A 30-minute preview of the 2015 MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 seasons with respected journalist and racer Mat Oxley (@matoxley), including: whether Ducati really has turned a corner in turning corners; whether Jorge Lorenzo will fit into his leathers; why Moto2 isn't as exciting as it was; and why the young Spanish rider who could dominate Moto3 is slightly less Spanish than MFG thinks. - All the two-wheeled excuses that have got in the way of us making podcasts recently, including: BMW F800GS, Ducati Multistrada 1200, Suzuki GSX-R750, Honda NSR250RSP MC28, Triumph T595, Ducati Monster 1200S, BMW R1200R, Triumph Street Triple Rx and the Ducati Scrambler. - Your questions and, in few cases, some answers to them, including: whether you're a twat if you film yourself crashing while attempting a wheelie, and whether that makes you enough of a twat to deserve a suspended prison sentence; what new riding kit to buy if you leave your old riding kit on a train and blame it on a podcast; and what one single motorcycle you'd pick to ride for the rest of your life. - A surging (and unexpected) response to a casual request for Young People to get in touch, and the revelation that they may in fact be a lot like People. Thank you, once again, for listening. You can email Front End Chatter about anything motorcycle-related on anything@frontendchatter.com, get in touch with Simon and Martin on Twitter (@SimonHbikes and @Mufga), and now visit FEC's shiny new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FrontEndChatter You can download (or stream) every episode of FEC for free at www.frontendchatter.com and/or subscribe to us (also for free) on iTunes or, indeed, any Android podcatchy software. Now #goFECyourself

  • Feb 25, 2015 · 1 hr 3 min

    Front End Chatter #26

    Episode #26 of Front End Chatter includes: - Britain's best motorcycle podcast celebrates its one-year anniversary by being ignored at the London Motorcycle Show. And Martin finally fulfils a four-year promise. - World Superbikes recap from Phillip Island, including the record-breaking (not in a good way) return of Troy Bayliss, why the podiums resembled the setup to a rubbish old pub joke, and the frank confessions and bruised buttocks revealed by social media. - More intrigue from MotoGP pre-season testing, where Ducati appear to have successfully turned a corner (for once), Melandri appears to need a montage, and scooters appear to be influencing race bike design. - Simon discovers how much MotoGP riders earn, where in the world they take it home to, and what the sponsors who fund the whole shebang do aside from taking up space on the side of 200mph race bikes. - Getting righteously indignant at the politics behind the Donington/Silverstone/CircuitOfWales fiasco, then even more righteously indignanter still at proper politics when it turns out the political party that seemed to be the nice guys really don't like motorcycles at all, and really don't want you riding them either. Plus plenty more. Well, a bit more. Regardless, thank you so very much for listening. If you enjoy it, you can check out our first year of FECing on www.frontendchatter.com; subscribe for free on iTunes; send us an email to anything@frontendchatter.com; and Twit us on @SimonHbikes and @Mufga. PS - If you spot the not-as-deliberate-as-we-wish-it-was mistake, email us on loadofcobblers@frontendchatter.com