Look out, it’s Front End Chatter E92, the biking podcast enabled, empowered, energised and veritably triggered by the cosmonauts at bikesocial.co.uk and bods at Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, without whom this would all still happen but much less often. And this week we have: Why being a MotoGP legend is bad for your health (especially if you’re a Brit) who’s actually likely to win the MotoGP title the next time Marquez doesn’t? what happened at the unfeasibly warm Bennetts British Su...
Apr 30, 2019•1 hr 30 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter E91, the nearly-but-not-quite episode, supported, enabled and triggered by www.bikesocial.co.uk – or is it just bikesocial.co.uk? – and Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists. And what a bounteous springtime episode we have, containing gossip such as: • COTA – or is it GOTA? – with Marquez beating himself while Rins wins on a Suzuki and Rossi is runner-up again again again (he’s going for another record: Pedrosa’s “Most Perennial Runner-Up” Award) • A hal...
Apr 25, 2019•1 hr 33 min
Hello, good morning and welcome to Front End Chatter E90, Britain’s most least favourite biking podcast, veritably triggered by www.bikesocial.co.uk, the world’s biking on the web, and Bennetts, the bike and travel insurance specialists. And this fortnight we have, for you aural delectation, spoken words on: RACING MotoGP is back, at Qatar where Miller’s seat comes off, Mav goes backwards, Rossi goes forwards, Marquez and Dovizioso repeat last season’s last lap, and Ducati plot a spoiler why Mot...
Mar 24, 2019•1 hr 47 min
Hello and welcome to Episode 89 of Front End Chatter, Britain’s most insured motorcycling podcast delivered fresh to your ears by Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons – enabled by the humanoids at www.bikesocial.co.uk and supported by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists. This week we’re chattering about: Andrea Iannone’s smelly secretions Jonathon Rea’s Book Of Excuses first ride of KTM’s new 790 Adventure and Adventure R how practical and fun is Enfield’s Interceptor? which bike can re...
Mar 10, 2019•2 hr
Hellooo and welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain’s most homoerotic motorcycling podcast, supported and empowered by www.bikesocial.co.uk and Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists. And for your aural delectation this week we have gossip on: Andrew Iannone’s jawline Maverick Marquez and his pants Dave Bautista’s Rea-beating form at Phillip Island the perfect Franken-racer unfeasible plum-o-meters in the BSB paddock why is bike gear so expensive? what bike did Nev buy? And is a BMW R1250RS bett...
Feb 23, 2019•1 hr 45 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter Episode 87 #Remy Gardner... it’s only just occurred to me, but what kind of name is Remy? Is he named after a cognac or something? Anyway, welcome, one and all, to surreal bantz supported, enabled and triggered by the meaty skinbags at www.bikesocial.co.uk – the best resource for all things motorcycling on the interwebs – and under the munificent auspices of Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists. This week we have: why Suzuki Hayabusa mirrors remind Simo...
Jan 29, 2019•1 hr 47 min
Happy New... oh, is too late for that? Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain’s most enduring motorcycling podcast (much to chagrin of Les343) presented by me, Simon Hargreaves and him, Martin Fitz-Gibbons, and supported by the humanoids at www.bikesocial.co.uk and Bennetts, the bike insurance people. And this month, FEC sinks its teeth into: the Greatest Grand Prix Of All Time, aka the 1990 Australian 500cc Grand Prix, feat. Sir Mick of Doohan, Lord Wayne de Rainey, Baron von Gardner a...
Jan 12, 2019•1 hr 29 min
Hello and welcome to a festive Front End Chatter, delivered with a ho-ho-ho by the Santa Claus of motorcycling websites, www.bikesocial.co.uk, in association with Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists. In episode 85 of FEC Martin and Simon turn back time to August 1993 and re-live the fags, mags and bags of a classic British Grand Prix at Donington Park when: Doohan played skittles with Schwantz and Barros Yamaha’s Luca Cadalora followed team orders – Suzuki team orders Foggy needed a reserve...
Dec 26, 2018•1 hr 24 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter Episode 84, presented for your ears in association with the multi-purposed humanoids of www.bikesocial.co.uk and Bennetts, the bike insurance experts. And this week, Simon H and Mufga present, for your consideration: Moto2 testing from Jerez, and the lap record-shattering debut of Triumph’s 765 engine, plus the emerging sibling rivalry of Marquez and Rossi brothers (ish) MotoGP testing gossip from Jerez, including Nakagami’s pace (who?) and the size of Joha...
Dec 09, 2018•1 hr 34 min
Welcome to Front End Chatter E83, and what a perfectly formed audio package it is too – supported and sustained as forever and always by the magnificent humanoids at www.bikesocial.co.uk and their Bennetts-ian, bike insuring benefactors. And wow! Scoop! Front End Chatter has a world exclusive interview with none other than the youngest man-child ever to win a grand prix – fresh from his Valencia Moto3 victory, we present Mr Can Öncü, fresh from his crib, literally. But apart from that, this week...
Nov 23, 2018•1 hr 43 min
Hello lovely people and welcome to our humble musings on the world of two wheels, otherwise known as Front End Chatter. FEC is supported by www.bikesocial@co.uk , your 24-hr convenience store for biking information, and Bennetts, the bike insurance experts. Here we are again with a marathon podcast to make up for lost time, and we have: • a teeny bit of Moto GP gossip, including why Lorenzo should not be henceforth be known as 'Sicknote' • all (most) new 2019 bikes fresh from the Eicma show they...
Nov 09, 2018•2 hr 3 min
Oh my lordy lord, here’s Front End Chatter E81, hot on the heels of E80 and ploughing an ill-informed furrow through the field of motorcycling podcasts, supported and upheld as ever by the munificence of www.bikesocial.co.uk and Bennetts, the bike insurance people. And this time out we have topics as varied as: • Jonathan ‘Nice’ Rea’s fourth consecutive World Superbike title – and which previous WSB champs congratulated him... • Ana Carrasco and her maiden – literally – WSSP300-on-a-400 world ti...
Oct 04, 2018•1 hr 43 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter E80, brought to you from the girded loins at www.bikesocial.co.uk and supported by bike insurance humanoids at Bennetts. This week, chatter topics for your aural entertainment are: Romano Fenasti – the hot-headed ex-Moto2 rider is definitely cracked, but should he be sacked or backed following his Misano misdemeanour? • Mufga’s been riding BMW’s new, enlarged, Shiftcam (careful!) R1250GS... ... and Simon’s had a go on Yamaha’s Niken with some BikeSocialists...
Sep 26, 2018•1 hr 28 min
Hello and welcome to Never mind all that usual bobbins, we've got an actual interview with actual Marc Márquez! In episode 79 of Britain's best biking podcast – supported, sustained and stimulated by Bike Social (that's www.bikesocial.co.uk ) as well Bennetts, the record-breaking, crash-saving, championship-leading prodigy of the bike insurance grid: Fallout from the washout at Silverstone. What happened (or, rather, what didn't), why it happened, how it happened, who's to blame, who's not, who ...
Sep 05, 2018•57 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, and E78 of Britain's finest motorcycling podcast, presented, in the loosest possible sense, by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves, although it's a sobering thought that in an infinite universe it's a certainty there's an Earth-like planet out there with a motorcycling podcast presented by Martin Hargreaves and Simon Fitz-Gibbons. Anyway, whichever universe you're in, we give thanks to the omnipotent and almighty deities at www.bikesocial.co.uk, the U...
Aug 09, 2018•2 hr 3 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter episode 77! Courtesy of the alliterative, improvised, indigenous tribes behind Bike Social (that's www.bikesocial.co.uk) and spoken through the mouths of veteran motorcycle-journalists-slash-opinion-havers Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons, this near-two-hour extravaganza covers all the latest comings, goings, rumours and controversies across the motorised two-wheeled universe. Including, but not limited to: The Goodwood Festival of Speed: what it's ...
Jul 18, 2018•1 hr 50 min
Hello and welcome to episode 76 of Front End Chatter, Britain’s most argumentative motorcycling podcast, presented in the loosest sense of the word by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves, and spilling seamlessly into your ears courtesy of www.bikesocial.co.uk – the motorcycling world on a website – and Bennetts, the bike insurance people who put back more into biking than any other insurance company, and that’s a true fact. On E76 we have: Jorge Lorenzo – why’s he started winning on a Ducat...
Jun 23, 2018•1 hr 40 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, episode 75 of Britain's sweariest motorcycling podcast, presented before your ears by two motorcycle journalists called, literally, Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves, and furthermore enabled by the humungous humanoids at the UK's most enhanced two-wheeled web experience, otherwise known as www.bikesocial.co.uk – which is itself a mere digit on the mighty, but gentle, hand of Bennetts, the bike insurance people. Among the topics for discussion today ...
Jun 06, 2018•1 hr 35 min
We’re back! Welcome to Britain’s most paternal motorcycling podcast, Front End Chatter Episode 74, supported by the infinite patience of our friends at www.bikesocial.co.uk, in association with Bennetts, the bike insurance specalists... and while we can’t quite make up for lost time, we can chatter about a bunch of stuff including: armchair gossip about current MotoGP shenanigans – mostly from Argentina, for whom no-one is crying apart from Marc Marquez who, upset at not being disqualified for r...
Apr 29, 2018•1 hr 41 min
Hello and welcome to a slightly sweary, distinctly snowy Front End Chatter Episode 73, supported as ever by nos amis at BikeSocial (wwwbikesocial.co.uk) and Bennetts the bike insurers – and which ignores the current level of white precipitation (sounds iffy) while resolutely chattering on about: last weekend’s racing season opener, with World Superbike at Phillip Island – was it or wasn’t it dull, and what’s the difference between an exciting race and dull racing? recent MotoGP testes, and what’...
Mar 02, 2018•1 hr 31 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter Episode 72, Britain's most rambling, shambling biking podcast supported as ever by our gender-neutral comrades at www.bikesocial.co.uk (and definitely *not* .com) in association with Bennetts, the bike insurance people. It's like a great big biking family, packed with road tests, new bikes, used bikes, buying guides and kit git guides; come in, the water's lovely. On a crammed FEC 72, Martin and Simon waffle about: • Sepang MotoGP testing results • the canc...
Feb 11, 2018•1 hr 35 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain’s mostest biking podcast, supported by nos amis at Britain’s foremost and most comprehensive biking website, www.bikesocial.co.uk , and Bennetts , the bike insurance specialists. And in this week’s compact episode Simon (me) and Martin (him) natter about such diverse matters as: the second darkest winter in northern Europe since records began results from the Dakar rally, and whether the race is getting too tough (it’s not), and whether the IOM TT ...
Jan 29, 2018•1 hr 4 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter Episode 70, the world’s most eclectic motorcycling podcast, supported by www.biksocial.co.uk, the UK’s most informed and entertaining website, and Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists. My name is Simon and that man over there is Martin, and today we’re nattering about: the masochism of riding in winter, and whether a hot bath at the end of it is worth the suffering the masochism of riding a Kawasaki H2 and an Enfield Himalayan in winter ...or the histor...
Jan 17, 2018•1 hr 22 min
Had enough of cold turkey? Fear not, here’s your fix of Front End Chatter Episode 69, served in a very small tin foil hat with a side-order of www.bikesocial.co.uk in association with Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists. And, following on from the last episode’s fab interview with Julian Ryder, this time it’s business as usual as we read through a veritable mountain of your occasionally lengthy emails, on topics as varied as: • Does the motorcycle industry do enough to attract young riders?...
Dec 27, 2017•1 hr 9 min
Hello everybody and welcome to Front End Chatter, the biking podcast powered and empowered by the super-swell folk at Bike Social - that's www.bikesocial.co.uk. In episode 68 Simon and Martin welcome a FECing guest for the first time in a long time. And not any guest, but the one and only Julian Ryder (@MotoGPJules) - journalist, broadcaster, author, antiques dealer and former WSB, 500GP and MotoGP commentator. Fresh from putting the finishing touches to the official MotoGP Season Review 2017 (a...
Dec 09, 2017•44 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter 67, the Shakey’s Racing Age episode, ably supported by our friends at www.bikesocial.co.uk who are in turn supported by bike insurance bods Bennetts. This week we natter about the small matter of a race in Valencia, some racing in Wales that actually looks like it might happen, some more gossip about the Motorcycle Live bike show they had last week (including how manufacturers cheat on seat heights), and answer a veritable raft of your emails on subjects as...
Nov 25, 2017•1 hr 33 min
Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter E66, supported by our good friends at www.bikesocial.co.uk and Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists – and who better to insure your gleaming new, 2018 motorcycle? Because this week’s podcast is stuffed full of new bike news, gossip and opinion (admittedly, more of the latter pair than the former), fresh from the Milan bike show. In no particular order, we natter about: Kawasaki’s 200bhp sport-touring mega-bike, the ZZR1400. Sorry! We mean the new H2 SX/...
Nov 10, 2017•1 hr 36 min
Hello and welcome to the long-awaited (well, about a month) Front End Chatter Episode 65 – supported as ever by our magnificent colleagues, pals and beneFECtors at www.bikesocial.co.uk and Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists. This week FEC bangs on about subjects as wide and varied as: how does three-time World Superbike champ Jonathan Rea’s win-race ratio match to Carl Fogarty’s, and how to fix World Superbike (again) did the three-way Showdown final British Superbike round at Brands and t...
Oct 20, 2017•1 hr 25 min
Hello and welcome to a special, John McGuinness Front End Chatter Episode 64, supported by our good friends at www.bikesocial.co.uk, supported by Bennetts, the bike insurer par excellence, bar none. And what a treat this week – apart from the usual nattering about subjects as random as: tech details from the launch of Ducati’s 210bhp V4 Stradale engine, which is coming to a chassis that may or may not but probably will look remarkably similar to a 1299 Panigale this November Rossi’s broken leg b...
Sep 12, 2017•1 hr 27 min
Hello everybody and welcome to Front End Chatter #63, brought to you by the definitely-not-primates at Bike Social (that's www.bikesocial.co.uk where, as well as all the latest news, views and reviews of all things motorcycling, you'll also find a handy link to the superb insurance services of Bennetts). In this not-especially-numerically-significant episode of Britain's best biking podcast, Simon and Martin chatter about: MotoGP from Austria, where someone cleared off for a bit, then there was ...
Aug 25, 2017•1 hr 16 min
