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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
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Episodes224

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  • Feb 8, 2015 · 59 min

    Front End Chatter #25

    Episode 25 of Front End Chatter, Britain's best and most superlative biking podcast, returns from a lengthy absinthe to discuss the first stirrings of a MotoGP season from testing at Sepang, Malaysia, and whether anything can be inferred from said performances other than some bikes and riders will definitely be on the grid at the start of the season, and some will be faster than others (the chances of a dead heat involving the entire field in every race are slim). Episode 25 also features the FEC Pointless MotoGP PR podium, a celebration of banal soundbites and talking nonsense, in which Alvaro Bautista is showing great pre-season form... Front End Chatter also nearly breaks a Yamaha press embargo on the new VMAX Cartoon... sorry, Carbon... and notices Suzuki's best-value bike, the GSX1250 FA, now comes with full luggage in its £7999 price, which is great until remembering the standard bike (without the luggage) was on sale for £6865 six months ago. FEC#25 also worries about biking getting older (it's a proper Saga) and wonders where the new blood is coming from (if there is any), why kids don't ride mopeds, whether Triumph should put a Tiger 800 motor in Street Triple chassis and slap a half fairing on it, the pros and cons of riding in winter, and marvel at the eccentric life of Maurice Seddon, the man who cooked his supper in his panniers and 'invented' heated clothing for bikers. Hope you like it; please subscribe and tell everyone you know to do likewise. See you after the London bike show :-) @Mufga @SimonHbikes

  • Jan 25, 2015 · 1 hr 20 min

    Front End Chatter #24

    Episode 24 of Front End Chatter does not, sadly, contain Kiefer Sutherland defending the world from a series of increasingly improbable terrorists. Instead, Simon and Martin discuss: - The two-week, 5000-mile Dakar Rally compressed into 10 minutes - A pre-pre-season preview, as MotoGP prepares to start testing, World Superbikes prepares to start racing, and the internet prepares to start using the c-word about Casey Stoner - Why the 2015 Isle of Man TT has turned into the world's fastest group test (and why a Kawasaki H2R might appear after all...) - Why things are looking up if you're in the business of selling motorcycles - The Frankenbikes we would build given an imaginary angle grinder and welder - The events to get in your 2015 diary, from London to Barcelona to Coventry And finally, to find out if reports of Superbike magazine's death have been greatly exaggerated, we speak to editor John Hogan (@JohnatSuperBike) about the title's past, present and future. Thank you very much for listening to Britain's best biking podcast. If you enjoy it, subscribe for free on iTunes, and check out all of our previous episodes (which would take more than a day of non-stop listening to get through). You can also play or download every episode free from www.frontendchatter.com Talk to us either on Twitter (@SimonHbikes and @Mufga) or send us an email about anything you like to anything@frontendchatter.com

  • Jan 12, 2015 · 1 hr 10 min

    Front End Chatter #23

    The first Front End Chatter of 2015 covers such diverse subjects as: - Simon enters a race through a village on his FireBlade, only to find out that's it's not really a race. - The first (and last) Front End Chatter 2014 Manufacturer Countdown, pop-pickers. - Listeners' problems solved (or at least answered), from trials clubs to tourism advice. - Does racing sell road bikes? - Do tall-rounders make sportsbikes look silly? Plus, Front End Chatter's off-road correspondent JP (@Jonpe23) returns to discuss the ins, outs and upside-downs of the Dakar Rally, including: - Who nearly didn't even make the start line this year. - What the words "mousse", "liason" and "fesh-fesh" mean. - Why you don't necessarily want to finish first (but to finish first, first you have to finish...) - Was the Dakar better when it actually went to Dakar? Thanks very much for listening. As ever, please subscribe (for free) on iTunes or elsewhere, check out our previous 20-odd episodes (for free), and spread the word by telling friends (and strangers) about Britain's best biking podcast. You can also shape future episodes by emailing comments, suggestions, questions and observations to anything@frontendchatter.com or by getting us on Twitter on @SimonHbikes and @Mufga.

  • Dec 21, 2014 · 1 hr 15 min

    Front End Chatter #22

    This year's final episode of Britain's best biking podcast comes to you from the jungle... no, Andorra... no, Benidorm. And Sicily. In this hour-and-a-bit, Ant and Dec - sorry, Simon and Martin - cover: - Is Britain officially in love with Foggy once again (the stats suggest so), or did he just surf a wave of cult nostalgia (the stats suggest so...)? - Marquez moves out of his parents' house, cries, then proves he's the greatest rider on the planet even in the off-season. Plus, a review of his new biography. - Reports from the launches of the new BMW R1200R (a simple bike that's incredibly high-tech), Kawasaki Versys 650 (the small bike trying to be a big bike) and Versys 1000 (the adventure bike that wasn't really an adventure bike and definitely isn't an adventure bike any more). - Front End Chatter discovers what it's like to ride a Kawasaki H2. - Plus your emails answered, some light bickering, and much more. If you enjoy this (for free), you can subscribe to Front End Chatter (for free), check out our past episodes (for free), tell a friend (for free) or shout about us online (for free). Send us an email about anything (anything@frontendchatter.com) and find us on Twitter (@Mufga and @SimonHbikes). Thank you very much, and we'll be back in 2015. Happy Christmas.

  • Dec 6, 2014 · 1 hr 23 min

    Front End Chatter #21

    Welcome to Front End Chatter episode 21 v2.0 (apparently the dog ate episode 21 v1.0). This week Martin and Simon visit Motorcycle Live and wave a microphone at Kawasaki’s H2R, use the word ‘artisan’ twice, dissect Carl Fogarty MBE’s stellar performance on a reality TV show and whether drinking a puréed kangaroo testicle really is tougher than winning four World Superbike titles, discuss air-bag protection, lament the passing of the thrust curve, and Simon reveals how talking out loud while you’re riding, recording it and putting on YouTube is problematic. But only to him. Thank you very much for listening, please spread the word, subscribe, and come and read other Chattersome nonsense at: @Mufga @SimonHbikes *if you’re only interested in the Carl Fogarty bit – and who can blame you? – it starts around 42m 30s.

  • Nov 14, 2014 · 1 hr 32 min

    Front End Chatter #20

    Front End Chatter, Britain's best (and original) biking podcast celebrates its vigintennial anniversary by remembering about the good old days. Actually, it doesn't. Instead, it gets totally lost in the seemingly bottomless pool of brand new bikes and their impenetrable acronyms. Opinion and analysis abounds, including attempting (or not) to answer: - Might Kawasaki's new H2 be a tiny weeny bit of a porker?- Will Honda's road-going RC213V really happen?- Is Yamaha's new R1 deceptively good looking?- Just what does A&S, AOS-II and CFRTP mean, and is it all a LOB?- Was any baking paper used in designing the MT-09 T-Racer (sorry, Tracer)?- What does Ducati's Scrambler have to do with a polar bear having a shave?If you enjoy any of this nonsense please subscribe and/or tell your friends about Front End Chatter. You can download it through iTunes, from any Androidy thing or direct from www.frontendchatter.com. Feedback or topic suggestions actively welcomed by email (anything@frontendchatter.com) and Twitter (@SimonHbikes and @Mufga). Thanks very much.

  • Oct 26, 2014 · 1 hr 13 min

    Front End Chatter #19

    Front End Chatter, Britain's best (and original) biking podcast, returns for an hour of fun and games (literally) including: - What Ducati's latest high-tech acronym actually does- What Yamaha's latest high-tech acronyms might do- Whether the 2015 BMW S1000RR is any good to ride (Simon's back from the launch, not that he mentions it much)- The frantic debut of Hipster Bingo- The remarkable true story of how a man who once set his own beard on fire drinking cocktails is at the centre of fresh chaos surrounding one of the most famous bikes in film history Plus all the usual talk about racing, your emails and plenty more too. Download Front End Chatter via www.frontendchatter.com, search for us on iTunes, or find us through any other Androidy apps. We're even still on SoundCloud. If you enjoy FEC please subscribe, tell your friends, check out old episodes, and email feedback to anything@frontendchatter.com Oh, and Twit us on @SimonHbikes and @Mufga Thanks!

  • Oct 17, 2014 · 1 hr 42 min

    Front End Chatter #18

    Britain's best and... hang on, have to stop you there. Anyway, this week's/month's/insert-random-time-interval's episode of Front End Chatter is all about new bikes – Kawasaki's supercharged H2R, BMW's S1000RR and R1200RS, Suzuki's GSX-S1000F and Ducati's Hipster, sorry, Scrambler – and a newly-crowned MotoGP Wold Champ, which is like a World Champ only from Lincolnshire, not Spain. There's some other stuff too. We hope you enjoy it, and please spread the word, subscribe via iTunes or an Android thing, leave a review, or Tweet us at @SimonHbikes and @Mufga (or get Simon on FB, but not Martin).

  • Sep 12, 2014 · 1 hr 17 min

    Front End Chatter #17

    Front End Chatter, the UK's finest biking podcast, goes all supercharged this week, in honour of Kawasaki's much rumoured, substantially teased and probably very exciting new sportsbike, the H2 (although it turns out your level of excitement depends on your promiscuity, gullibility and general willingness to indulge in fantasy). We also talk about the other noteworthy 2015 bikes likely to debut at the forthcoming Intermot bike show in Cologne, why sportsbikes may or may not be making a comeback, a bit of MotoGP chat, why Donington is nicer than Silverstone (apart from the toilets), and take a serious moment to discuss the ethics of watching bike crash videos on Youtube. From physics to metaphysics, only in Britain's favourite biking podcast. Please download, subscribe, share as widely as possible, leave us some feedback, email us at anythingyoulike@frontendchatter.com, or Tweet us on @Mufga or @SimonHbikes. Thanks!

  • Sep 1, 2014 · 1 hr 5 min

    Front End Chatter #16

    Welcome to Front End Chatter episode 16, brought to you live, in the sense we're breathing, from Silverstone MotoGP – or is it? There's a lot of chatter about the race itself, and plenty of ill-informed gossip surrounding the event, and... well, let's just call it a wide-ranging conversation that takes in men in public toilets, why sportsbikes appear to be in decline, which one you should buy anyway, crashing on a protest ride, Aussie police, no new bike news, stolen racing trophies, how manufacturers treat customers better these days, and lending idiot wannabe journalists demo bikes. It all sounds better than it really is. But thanks for listening anyway! x

  • Aug 27, 2014 · 1 hr 32 min

    Front End Chatter #15

    Front End Chatter hits the big one-five chattering about Marc Marquez crashing (or not), new bike news including Suzuki's big naked, Yamaha's semi-naked and BMW's wish-it-was-completely-obscured, why Welsh taxpayers may end up paying Silverstone (not in Wales) to host a Grand Prix in 2015, and lots more ill-informed chit-chat about this and that on two wheels (guaranteed to drive anyone who knows anything about bikes to distraction). We hope you like it, but have sympathy with those who don't.

  • Aug 4, 2014 · 1 hr 26 min

    Front End Chatter #14

    If you like quantity over quality, then the longest-ever episode of Front End Chatter, Britain's best (and only) biking podcast is for you. Simon and Martin return with nearly 90 minutes of words, covering: - Cal Crutchlow's last-minute change of heart. And employer- Live (though not live by the time you listen to it) commentary from the Thruxton round of British Superbikes- A new cruiser we both like the look of, and one we definitely don't- Why a great value bargain new offer might not be so great or bargainous after all- Why the radical anarchists of motorcycling might not be so radically anarchic after all- Whether two clutches are better than one- The super-advanced production bike nobody (except Simon) is paying attention to- The retro custom bikes everybody (except Martin) is paying attention toAnd all while trying (and failing) not to be distracted by the telly.If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this program, Twit us at @SimonHbikes and @Mufga or email us on anything@frontendchatter.comFront End Chatter is available on iTunes, Soundcloud and all manner of Android podcast catching widgets. Thanks for listening.

  • Jul 26, 2014 · 1 hr 8 min

    Front End Chatter #13

    After two months of radio (or, indeed, not-radio) silence, Britain's best (and only) biking podcast is back with episode 13. But what happened to episode 12, you ask? You'll have to listen to find out... Front End Chatter #13 also covers: - Who's going (or staying) where in MotoGP, and should they?- The hectic year of the world's foremost freelance racer (who may or may not be French)- Why top-name racers don't appear at the Suzuka 8-hour (because they do?)- Unsubstantiated speculation about a new Yamaha R1, including who will care most (a racer) and who won't (anybody buying a new bike in Britain, going by the sales figures) even if it turns out to be real after all- A radical solution for all the deserted supermoto tracks gathering dust (and aren't they supposed to do that?)- Everything we lost from Episode 12, which originally took two hours but can be crammed into five minutes- The debut (and possibly finale) of Front End Chatter's Realityometer gameSorry for the delay and we hope the wait was worthwhile. If it is, or isn't, please email us at anything@frontendchatter.com Find us on The Twitter on @SimonHbikes and @Mufga Thanks, and tell a friend. Or just spam your email address book.

  • Jun 8, 2014 · 1 hr 9 min

    Front End Chatter #11

    Front End Chatter episode 11 is here and contains, for your aural pleasure, Simon and Martin chattering about the following:• The Isle of Man TT – who's winning, who isn't, BMW's first win for 75 years (or is it?), when's a Norton not a Norton, when a TT racer should call it a day (or not) & Twitter incontinence ('he's Twat his pants!')• Marc Marquez' autobiography (Chapter One: Womb With A View, Chapter Two: My Time With The Midwife, Chapter Three: Going Home From The Hospital etc)• Ducati's new Monster 821• Our predictions for new bikes in 2015 • How to behave on garage forecourts• and lots of musings on life, two-wheels, and forgetting to print off people's namesMany thanks for downloading, and hope you enjoy the chatter. Contact us on Twitter: @Mufga@SimonHbikes or email: frontendchatter@frontendchatter.com

  • May 25, 2014 · 48 min

    Front End Chatter #10

    The tenth episode of Britain's best (and only) biking podcast is bursting with astounding revelations, such as: - Marc Márquez isn't the fastest rider in MotoGP - Bike racing isn't the same as football - One city has more bikes than the whole of Europe - Two genuinely interesting electric bikes are launched in the same week - Ducati make lots of money by selling very expensive sportsbikes And some other stuff too. Twit a twit on @Mufga or @SimonHbikes, or email anything@frontendchatter.com Subscribe to Front End Chatter on iTunes, download us on Soundcloud, or find us through any old bit of podcasting software you like. Enjoy, tell a friend, and thank you very much.

  • May 14, 2014 · 56 min

    Front End Chatter #09

    After a two-week hiatus (that's a posh word for slacking off), Britain's best (and still only) biking podcast is back to cover all the goings on, in, over and under the two-wheeled world. There's talk about whether MotoGP's getting dull now Marquez has won every race (it isn't); how long Marquez can win every race for (not long... probably); and whether we should all be watching World Superbikes instead (we aren't, but why not?) Then there's stuff about a bike with a small-capacity engine (Yamaha's MT-125), a bike with a big-capacity engine (BMW's S1000R) and a bike with a zero-capacity engine (BMW's C evolution). All that plus Martin busts an MOT myth, and Simon talks about his helmet. If any of this makes you want to say something, you're welcome to say it to anything@frontendchatter.com, @Mufga and @SimonHbikes Oh, and thank you.

  • Apr 27, 2014 · 58 min

    Front End Chatter #08

    The eighth episode of Britain's best (and only) biking podcast spreads its wings wider than ever, with irreverent (who said irrelevant?) discussion of road bikes' past (Kawasaki's KR-1, which Simon has just ridden), present (Suzuki's GSX1250FA, which Martin has just ridden) and future (electric bikes, and does anybody want to ride them?). There's also the usual racing rambling, including our attempt to work out a religious building based heirarchy for circuits around the world. And Front End Chatter welcomes its first studio guest, www.dirtbikesportnews.com editor Jonathan Pearson. Fresh from winning at Britain's toughest enduro, he explains how to use other riders as grip... As ever, emails are welcomed to anything@frontendchatter.com, simon@frontendchatter.com or martin@frontendchatter.com. Twit us on @SimonHbikes and @Mufga. Subscribe to Front End Chatter on iTunes, or find us on Soundcloud.

  • Apr 19, 2014 · 1 hr 6 min

    Front End Chatter #07

    Welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain's best (and only) biking podcast. In this week's shambles of an episode, the gun-slinging Magnificent Seventh, Martin and Simon chatter about last weekend's stunning (or not) MotoGP race from Texas, interviewing TT racers (or not), putting the entire Japanese motorcycle industry to rights (or not), a new, road legal, two-stroke V4 (or not), why Honda's new CB650F isn't very good (or not; neither of us have ridden it).Hope you like it; please leave a review. Thanks! Contact us at: anything@frontendchatter.com

  • Apr 12, 2014 · 58 min

    Front End Chatter #06

    In the sixth episode of Front End Chatter, Britain's best (and still only) biking podcast, Simon and Martin look back at the fact-filled career of Colin Edwards, preview this weekend's racing action in both Texas and Aragon, explore Simon's mid-biking-life crisis at the Yamaha Off-Road Experience, and discuss the stark differences between BMW's new R1200RT (which Simon has ridden, but didn't realise) and Honda's not-so-new VFR800 (which neither of us have ridden). Plus, our tribute to Massimo Tamburini and why his legacy deserves to be far greater than two gorgeous bikes, even if they weren't quite so lovely to ride... As ever emails are welcomed to simon@frontendchatter.com, martin@frontendchatter.com or anything@frontendchatter.com Twit us on @SimonHbikes or @Mufga Thanks again, and moo.

  • Mar 31, 2014 · 56 min

    Front End Chatter #05

    In the fifth episode of Front End Chatter - still Britain's best (and only) biking podcast - Simon and Martin discuss the opening MotoGP race from Qatar, new bike news, riding a pair of new V-twins in the shape of Ducati's Diavel and Erik Buell's new EBR 1190RX sportsbike, plus some other stuff including a review of James Toseland's new album. We hope you like it, despite a passing jet about halfway through. If you're a Twitterist, we're on @Mufga and @SimonHbikes. Emails to martin@frontendchatter.com, simon@frontendchatter.com, or absolutely anything you can think up @frontendchatter.com