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HOT NEWS! The FEC Highland Fling is here!
Yes folks, come ride with Simon and Martin in Scotland in May 2025 – we've booked an entire hotel in the heart of the Highlands as a base for three days of riding the most stunning loops around the most iconic routes in the UK. It's majestic, it's mind-blowing, it's the best riding – and the best hospitality – you'll get in 2025.
The FEC Highland Fling starts with a grand ride-in on Friday 2nd May through Glen Coe up to the hotel near Garve. After an evening of greetings and meetings, we'll spend the next three days exploring the finest roads and scenery Scotland has to offer – the north coast, west coast, and across to the Cairngorms, talking in all the Highland hits along the way. And, on the final night (Monday 5th May), Martin and Simon will host a special live episode of Front End Chatter.
To register your interest in the FC Highland Fling, please send an email to [email protected] titled "I'm interested in the FEC Highland Fling, please send me more info."
We look forward to seeing you in Scotland in May!
Meanwhile....
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, to [email protected]
Please keep your thoughts and ideas and musings and fantasies coming in!
Thanks for listening, and see you in Scotland in May!
Bsky
@sihbikes.bsky.social
@mufga.bsky.social
Insta
simonhbikes
mufga
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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 understandPlus loads... well, *some* more... please get in touch at [email protected] with your thoughts, musings, questions and ponderings.
Or get us on Instagram:
@Mufga
@SimonHbikes
Or Bluesky:
@mufga.bsky.social
@sihbikes.bsky.social
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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). And if it's going to make any sense at all you really need to be looking at the pics of the bike while we natter, and have watched the video of which we speak. Here, if you're interested (and I really don't blame you if you're not) are some links to where you can find this stuff:
Video is here: https://youtu.be/nkv9CGYHdik?si=SIwQ7Fw2rCBguMUm
Pics are here: https://global.honda/en/newsroom/news/2024/c241105ceng/image_download.html?from=newslink_media
We encourage you to look at them as we speak – otherwise everything we say makes even less sense than it would otherwise.
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:
[email protected]
Thank you for making it this far, and fingers crossed we won't be quite so ill and tedious on the next one. Aye!
@SimonHbikes
@Mufga -
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.co.uk, 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’)
Catch us on the Instagrams@SimonHbikes and @Mufga
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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 wotorcycling 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.
Instas:
@SimonHBikes
@Mufga
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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 Ying 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:
[email protected] and we'll get round to reading it out in six months' time. Probably.
Thank you very much for watching and you can no longer reach us on Twitter because there is no more Twitter. But we're still on Instagram:
@SimonHBikes
@Mufga -
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!
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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 Tours for being the grown-ups in the room, and – maybe maybe – see you on the next FEC Tour in 2025?
@Mufga
@SimonHbikes
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Hello Geeks and Nerds, and welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain's Bestular Biking Podcast with him, me, and me, him. Or is it the other way round? Stick to the script!
Anyway, your erstwhile hosts @SimonHbikes and @Mufga are, as always, indebted and in balls-deep with Bennetts, Britain's Bestular Bike Insurers, as voted for by the residents of Mavis Enderby for the fifth year running – and the quietly awesome bikesocial.co.uk, populated with over 6000 pages of news, views and reviews.
On the pod this fortnight we have words on:
• Ducati's new V4 Panigale and the absence of a singularly-sided swingarm
• possibly Ducati's final V2 sportsbike, the Panigale V2 Superquadro Final Edition (the clue's in the name)
• the ongoing KTM cam drama
• the very quickly and efficiently executed Suzuki V-Strom 800DE recall (that's how ya do it lads)
• Bennetts BikeSocial new Bike Club (don't call it a forum but it is, no shame in that, I use them all the time)
• Kawasaki's hydrogen-powered prototype, and why we shouldn't take it too seriously because a) it'll never be practical and b) it's probably a corporate vanity project anyway
• Yamaha's decision to put their new auto-transmission on an MT-09, and will it wheelie?
• ...which we discover Harley's LiveWire Costa Del Sol is more than capable of...
• plus loads of your FECsack emails containing thoughts, musings, amusing, ponderances and preponderances – sent in to:
[email protected]
Thanks for your ears, and if you fancy two days riding around with Simon H (and Simon Weir) on the Road Test Experience, go to roadtestexperience.co.uk and sign up! -
Hello one and all, and welcome to Episode 193 of Front End Chatter, Britain’s best motorcycling podcast and winner of the coveted Wooden Microphone at the 2015 International Podcast Awards.
Thanks as ever to Bennetts, Britain’s Best Bike Insurers – hey, “It’s insurance by the people, for the people!” (you can have that for free, Newbs) – and bikesocial.co.uk, the website with all the news, reviews, twos, blues and clues. For youse. With lots of lovely YouTube content to digest too.
Right, on this episode of FEC we have:
• deets of BMW’s R1300 GSA including its built-in coffee cup stand
• riding impressions of Yamaha’s blingy MT-09 SP hooligan compared to Triumph’s Street Triple RS
• Kawasaki’s rad new H7 Hybrid with the acceleration of litre sports, the performance of a 650 and the fuel economy of a 250 (it says here)
PLUS a deep dive through the FEC sack where we chat about all things great and good, such as:
• should you buy a bike with your heart or your head?
• are auto transmissions the future and can motorcycling be *too* easy?
• our thoughts on the KTM chocolate camshaft issues, and can history teach a manufacturer how to manage a reliability problem?
• how much do bike videos cost to make?
• is there any point to wings on road bikes?
...and much much more.
Please like and subscribe, tell everyone you know about the pod, and if you want to ask us a question, comment on any of the issues we’ve raised, start a new topic, ask for bike buying advice – get in touch and send us an email:Thanks for listening, and see you again soon!
@SimonHbikes
@Mufga -
Hello one and all, and welcome to a freshly squeezed episode of Front End Chatter, Britain's most absent motorcycling podcast featuring him, Simon Hargreaves, and him, Martin Fitz-Gibbons.
We are, as always, indebted to and inebriated by Bennetts, Britain's best bike insurers, and biksocial.co.uk, the place to get all your news and views on motorcycling.
And on this return to some kind of form, we have:
• what we've been up to (most of the episode, to be fair) including: the FECspagna tour of France and Spain on Suzuki's GSX-S1000 GX+ and BMW S1000 XR TE, Suzuki live, the ABR Festival, and a chat about the sudden appearance of auto gearboxes (including what, exactly, the definition of 'auto' is).
Thank you for persevering and more episodes will be along shortly.
Send emails, questions, queries and abuse to [email protected]
@SimonHBikes
@Mufga
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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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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)duePlease keep topping our FECsack up by emailing your thoughts, wonderings, ponderings and observances to [email protected]
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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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:
[email protected]
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 -
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, the motorcycling podcast presented by Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons, a pair of bike journalists who've been riding and writing about dem motorbikes they have these days for bleedin' ages.
The pod is, as ever, supported and enabled and ennobled by Bennetts, the bike insurance gods, and BikeSocial.co.uk – the brightest and best biking website and YouTube channel rammed with motorcycling goodness content. Including lots of new bike reviews. Oh yes.
So on this long-awaited return to pod action, Martin and Simon talk about:
• the new bikes they've been riding, such as:
BMW's R1300 GS
Honda's Africa Twin Adventure Sports
Triumph's Speed & Scrambler 400s
Suzuki's GSX-8R
Yamaha's MT-09
Moto Guzzi's Stelvio
Harley's Road and Street Glides
Kawasaki's Eliminator 500
Phew! No wonder there's not been a pod for over a month!
Plus the lads natter about Yamaha's defunct-or-is-it R1, what is Euro5+ and why World Superbike might be making a comeback to a podcast near you soon.
Please like and subscribe, no, hang on, that's videos innit, getting me content mixed up... please download and tell your mates about the pod, what do you mean you haven't got any mates, tell you mum then, I dunno.
Compose questions, queries, ideas, perverted thoughts and musings, offers of free stuff, recreational and/or procreational pharmaceuticals, and send them electronically to:
[email protected]
Bless ya, we're all in it together x
@SimonHbikes
@Mufga -
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, the UK's most flexible motorcycling podcast with him, Martin Fitz-Gibbons, and him, Simon Hargreaves – a pair of disreputable motorcycle journalists who have yet to find a block around which they have not been.
We are supported in our endeavours as ever by the estimable Bennetts, the UK's most bike-friendly bike insurers (a higher standard than some meet), and their multi-media wing on the web at bikesocial.co.uk
Right, on this episode we have:
• all the deets on the new Triumph Daytona 660 brought to you from a meeting with the bike itself – listen here, or watch us wrestle with words in realtime on FEC TV – search Front End Chatter on YouTube or go to
bit.ly/fecdaytona
• Simon's been to Scotchland on a Suzuki V-Strom 800DE and mighty cold and mighty comfy it was too
• he still also chuntering about a bike he'll never buy, and now can't decide between not buying a BMW R1200RT or a Triumph Trophy 1200 SE – but is leaning towards the Triumph at time of recording...
• plus a pile of FECers emails including not watching racing in 2024, are fast, fun, lightweight bikes gone forever, will anyone be building specials with engine swaps in the future, and much much more.
Thanks for listening, please check us out on YouTube, please email questions and queries and thoughts and musings to [email protected]
And it's goodnight from him, and goodnight from me.
@SimonHbikes
@Mufga -
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, the UK’s most flammable motorcycling podcast with him, Simon Hargreaves, and him, Martin Fitz-Gibbons. This is episode 186, a gentleman’s agreement of an episode, in which we thank Bennetts, Britain’s best bike insurance experts, and BikeSocial.co.uk, all your two-wheeled needs and nerds catered for on the web and on YouTube – before once more diving into a couple of hours of chatter.
And on this episode we bring you a FEC first – our inaugural (but not last) new bike launch – yes, Front End Chatter was privileged to be invited to the first ride of Triumph's 2024 Tiger 900 range in Spain – the new Tiger 900 GT Pro and Rally Pro, on road and off. The fact the bike's a corker is entirely coincidental, and we can confidently state the launch gift of a dose of Covid didn't sway our opinion even it it ruined Xmas at Chatter Manors.
In this episode we also sling a leg over Suzuki's GSX-S1000 GX which at a slightly compromised launch that didn't let us really get under the skin of the bike and left us with more questions than answers – which gives us an excuse to put more miles on the bike later in the year, and which is no bad thing.
Also in this episode, Mufga and a crew of ne'er-do-wells win a historic trophy by riding a pair of Zero electric bikes through thick, but mostly thin, the length and breadth of Britain.
Thank you very much for listening, please email your thoughts and musings and questions to [email protected], and get us on the socials (when we're feeling up to it) at @SimonHbikes and @Mufga.
Have a splendid Christmas and see/hear you/us in 2024.
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Hello and welcome to FEC185, the new-bikes-for-2024 special version of Front End Chatter, Britain’s fave motorcycling podcast with him Martin Fitz-Gibbons and him Simon Hargreaves.
But WAIT! Before you move on, thinking “Oh, I’ve already endured that pair of idiots nattering about the new bikes for 2024 in their EICMA Show review on the Bennetts BikeSocial YouTube channel they have these days,”... (to watch it, go to www.bit.ly/feconfilm)
...well – yes, that’s what you’re getting here; the audio version of the video, but one you can take on your travels while you’re raking up fallen leaves on the lawn, walking the dog (or dogs if you have two of them), spannering in the garage (not heard it called that before) or even dogging on the treadmill in your local gymnasium. Jogging. I meant jogging.
But there’s more! Because we’re also revealing details of something far more important than the tired old toot the manufacturers are trying to foist on you in 2024. Because, dear FECers, we have details of not one, but TWO FEC Tours in 2024 – both flawlessly organised, as always, in conjunction with Paul from MCI Tours.
For the first tour, and to celebrate the 10th birthday of Front End Chatter (aka A Decade Of Drivel), FEC Tours is going international with a 10-day FECstravaganza – riding for two days across France down to the Pyrenees, spending three days exploring the sensational mountain passes, then another two days across to the fabulous Picos range in northern Spain before heading back to Santander and the leisurely cruise back to Plymouth – with a live podcast recording on the boat.*
*subject to sailing conditions and Brittany Ferries playing ball, which we’re sure they will.
Viva FECspaña promises to be a spectacular motorcycling holiday and the trip of lifetime. The dates are: Sunday 2nd June (depart Portsmouth) to Tuesday 11th June (return Plymouth). Find more details here:
www.bit.ly/fecspain
The second tour is a little more modest in scope and commitment, as we FEC Up The Borders. Long overlooked by passing tourists, the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway are regions of stunning riding and gorgeous scenery. FEC has (literally) taken over the Buccleuch Arms Hotel in Moffat, a legendary motorcycling establishment dedicated to serving the needs of hungry motorcyclists. We have an extensive ride-in and ride-out either side of two days exploring both areas including Britain’s second-longest B-road, the birthplace of Steve Hislop (plus riding some the roads he surely cut his teeth on), a suite of border passes steeped in tribal history and legend, and the desolate splendour of the Galloway National Park. It’s some of our fave riding in the UK.
The dates for FEC Up The Borders are: ride-in on Tuesday 30th July, ride-out on Friday 2nd July. More info here:
www.bit.ly/fecborders
STOP PRESS – the FEC Up The Borders Tour is almost sold out already, so get your enquiry in pronto to secure a place!
Only after putting up with all that – hope you enjoy the FEC Guide To 2024’s New Bikes (well, the ones we’re really interested in!).
Thank you for listening/watching, if you appreciate what we do please get your insurance from Bennetts and become a BikeSocial Member, email your thoughts and questions to [email protected] (normal service will be resumed next episode) and catch us on the socials:
@Mufga (wry commentary and nerdy tech stuff)
@SimonHbikes (drunken passive/aggressive shit-posting and paracord/bass guitars)
Aye. -
Hello and welcome to Episode 184 of Front End Chatter, Britain's Bestest Biking Bodcast with him, Martin Fitz-Gibbons, and him, Simon Hargreaves – with thanks as ever to our patient and perfect partners Bennetts, the bike insurance specialisms, and BikeSocial.co.uk, the most informative and entertaining motorcycling website on the, er web. Is it still called the web?
Anyway, check out the offers, discounts and competitions available should you choose to become a BikeSocial Member (free to Bennetts customers, £60 a year if not) – seriously, if you're planning on spending a few quid this year on tyres, kit and accessories, chances are the shop you'll buy them from has a discount offer with Bennetts – so sign up, ya fool!
Right, on with the show and today it's a bit of a FEC-sack Special because we're getting a bit behind with your emailed questions and queries – so it's all you today:
• whose leathers are on the wall of a hotel near the Nürburgring?
• great biking reassessments, such as Harley are technically advanced and Honda do think they can change gear better than you after all: with mandatory DCT and, now, Honda's Eclutch – another auto transmission. Honda really don't like manual gearboxes, do they?
• plus, Martin recalls having to reassess adventure bikes after it became clear they were taking over the world
• how to regain a biking mojo
• how will BMW's front collision warning cope with 'progressive' riding in traffic?
• best bike for long range commuting?
• is the SWC300 any good?
• do we grow out of modifying bikes?
And much much more...
Thanks for listening, please spread the word, please ring-fence a couple of dates in your diary – we have a FEC tour of Spain coming up in early June 2024, and a FEC tour of the Borders in late July 2024! YOU HAVE TO BE THERE! It's such a good time.
Also – keep your emails coming in to:
[email protected]
@SimonHbikes
@Mufga -
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain's most foresighted motorcycling podcast and, as regular listeners, you don't need to be Nostradamus to know what we're going to say next. So no surprise it's a massive thank you to Bennetts, Britain's best motorcycle insurers, who continue to amaze and astound with a litany, nay, cornucopia of offers, competitions and nice things – one of which is bikesocial.co.uk with all the biking news, new bikes, consumer features and BSB info fit to eat. And check out Bennetts' YouTube channel coz it's amazing. And become a Bennetts BikeSocial Member and get access to all the above, for a paltry £60 a year – and it's free if you're insured with Bennetts.
Right, after all that, onto the pod. And it's a Knobbly News kinda week, what with BMW's R1300 GS getting the full nerd-out in-depth detail – what's the motor/frame/suspension/styling, and how's it different, why's it different and will we like it? Plus Honda have nibbled at the Africa Twin and ruined the Adventure Sport by not importing a manual gearbox version (we love Honda, we really do, but blimey they make it hard sometimes). Meanwhile Suzuki unveil the V-Strom 800RE, possibly the most useful motorbike of 2024, and Triumph announce some prices. And in the green corner, literally, there's Kawasaki letting slip a small trump of details about the "Strong Hybrid Ninja 7" - a half battery, half petrol-powered 451cc parallel twin with what Kawasaki say is the fuel economy of a 250 combined with the performance of a 750 and the 0-60 of a ZX-10R, yeah right chinny chin chin (that bit wasn't in the press release).
And after all that, we FECsack about CX500s, commuting 100 miles a day and cramming a lifetime of motorcycle choices into a few years as you work out what kind of biker you are.
Right, that's all for now. We should start a newsletter. Hey, that's a good idea.
Email your thoughts and queries and desires and offers of, well, anything goes tbh but money's good, to:
[email protected]
Thanks for listening, you mad FECers you x
@SimonHBikes
@Mufga
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