Front End Chatter Podcast Archive - Episodes 70 - 79
BikeSocial Road Tester
17.01.2018
We've had a rummage in the back of the cupboard and pulled out all those old editions of Front End Chatter that get pushed back there when the new one lands, brushed them down, tidied them up a bit and put them all together into one bumper page - the Front End Chatter Archive (Part 3 of… er lots).
Front End Chatter – Episode 70
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 a Royal Enfield Himalayan in winter
...or the historical perspective of riding three generations of GSX-R750 on an old runway in Cornwall
details of a Brembo brake recall in the USA; what it is, what bikes are affected, and whether there’ll be a recall in the UK
how, despite the Kawasaki H2 SX and Yamaha Niken and BMW F850GS, the Kawasaki Z900RS might just be the best bike of 2018
an enlightened approach to selling a used bike, and how faith should overcome fear...
...or just ask your local dealer to sell it for you
why Honda’s Crossrunner is always overlooked when discussing used all-rounders
the crazy new bike deals about last year, such as Honda’s Africa Twin DCT PCP deal of no deposit, 0% finance at £70 per month for three years – and the implications for the values of used Africa Twins
how cold is too cold to go for a ride?
and introducing the Hall Of FEC – what bikes are in, what bikes are out (starting with 2009 – which turns out to be a particularly bad year for new bikes)
Front End Chatter – Episode 71
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 is harder
Will Michael Dunlop’s recent test on the MotoGP Suzuki GSX-R RR R at Sepang, Malaysia, presage an entry in the 2018 Senior TT, and do we think he was worried about taking to the track alongside MotoGP regulars?
What else might or might not happen at the first MotoGP test session of 2018 at Sepang?
Why has Hutchy jumped on John McG’s ‘unlucky’ Honda Fireblade for next year’s TT?
More news on the Ducati, Aprilia and KTM models affected by Brembo’s master cylinder recall
First riding reports of Ducati’s Panigale V4 and Honda’s new Gold Wing are in – and if they’re as brilliant as everyone says, how can we tell when it seems like all new bikes are brilliant?
Plus (and sorry, we only have time for a few) your wonderful emails.
Front End Chatter – Episode 72
On a crammed FEC 72, Martin and Simon waffle about:
Sepang MotoGP testing results
The cancelled Welsh Road Races: why it's been postponed and how much damage has been done to the reputation of the organisers and a potential 2019 event – plus some sensible mathematics
A surprisingly measured and informed opinion on the great grid girls debate... from a man
McGuinness signs to race the Norprilia at the TT
News from the launches of the 2018 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports (not in Africa) and Triumph Tiger 800 (in Africa)
Embarrassing crashes, heart-breaking crashes and unpredictable crashes (aren't all crashes unpredictable?)
Do we get the new bikes we want, or the bikes manufacturers think we want... and how are new bikes developed, anyway?
What were the best-selling bikes in Europe and who were the biggest manufacturers in 2017?
Front End Chatter – Episode 63
Hello and welcome to a slightly sweary, distinctly snowy Front End Chatter Episode 73, supported as ever by nos amis at BikeSocial (www.bikesocial.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 tests, and what’s the likely outcome of Tech 3 and Yamaha announcing their conscious uncoupling?
...and then FEC73 dives headlong into proper motorcycling and confronts pressing issues such as:
the launch of Triumph’s new Speed Triple S and RS, and when is a hooligan not a hooligan?
how does Triumph’s Daytona 675R rate against MV Agusta’s 675 and 800 F3s?
is it only us thinking this, or have Triumph got some massive holes in their model line-up, and does that presage a completely new, large-capacity engine powering a range of new models in the near future?
would we buy a Panigale 959 Corse if a) we wanted it and b) could afford it?
are some new bikes ‘better’ than other new bikes, and does it matter, or is modern motorcycling more about deciding what the bike feels like?
what’s the wisdom of filming ourselves for vlogs – does it make motorcycling look bad?
should we feel guilty about not using a bike all the time?
how much does rider weight and fitness level affect our ability to ride a bike?
Plus, there’s loads more of waffle about grid boys, why manufacturers build the bikes they build, and a satisfied FEC customer!
Front End Chatter – Episode 64
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 specialists... 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 riding the wrong way up the track, went on to effectively disqualify himself from the race, several times over – what is Marc Marquez on, is he becoming MotoGP’s bad boy, and is he heading for a biggie?
a bit of catch-up with WSB and BSB, including a refreshingly new look to the top step of the BSB podium at Donington in the shape of a myopic mop-head from Kent called Bradley Ray...
...plus a bit of chat about Triumph’s Tiger 1200 XRT v BMW’s R1200GS TE v Ducati’s Multistrada 1260S Touring v KTM’s 1290 S Super Adventure
...and a bit about Kawasaki’s Z900RS v BMW’s RnineT Pure and Yamaha’s XSR900...
...and exactly how extraordinary is Kawasaki’s H2 SX SE?
Plus!
what’s the point of KTM in MotoGP?
does being a dad slow you down?
which retro naked bike has the sportiest character?
should Triumph release a Speed Triple RS half-faired sports tourer?
can you do a track day on a BMW R1200GS?
is the VFR800Fi a future classic?
can we form an emotional attachment to an inanimate object?
why do some bikes have unadjustable suspension that works, while some have adjustable suspension we struggle to set-up?
why do journalists criticise adjustable suspension, then comprehensively fail to actually be bothered to adjust it?
hello to Jason Isaacs
what’s the best bike to get married on?
...and so much more!
Front End Chatter – Episode 75
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 are:
Is the TT more important than MotoGP?
MotoGP silly season, including why Lorenzo will never, in a million years, take a seat at Repsol Honda, oh, he just did...
TT latest including the unbelievably spectacular riding at this year's race, some slightly troubling consequences, and what's the point of the Superbike class?
How many horsepowers do we a) need, b) want and c) can use?...
... and where does Ducati's V4 Panigale sit on that scale?
What are the worst bikes ever (and haven't we been here before)?
What effect will Yamaha's Niken have, if any, on motorcycling?
...and much, much less. More. I meant more.
Thank you very much for listening, please visit www.bikesocial.co.uk for all your motorcycling media needs, and please subscribe on iTunes or your Android device to make sure you get every episode of FEC.
Front End Chatter – Episode 76
On E76 we have:
Jorge Lorenzo – why’s he started winning on a Ducati, why’s he signed to ride for Honda in 2019, what’s in it for new teammate Marc Marquez, and is there a conspiracy theory we can generate from it all? (The answer is yes)
Peter Hickman’s astonishing Senior TT lap record, and a lengthy discussion (again) about whether discomfort at supporting the event is legititmate
Why so many motorcyclists dislike football
How to do 200mph on the cheap
Should there be courses in basic motorcycle understanding?
Why Honda’s NC750X is a good bike. But only if you don’t test ride a Yamaha Tracer 700 first
Suzuki GSX-R750 – is the best middleweight sportsbike on the road?
Can anyone actually name Jonathan Rea winning a “really close and exciting race that will go down in history”?
...and much more (well, a bit)
Thank you very much for listening, please visit www.bikesocial.co.uk for all your motorcycling media needs, and please subscribe on iTunes or your Android device to make sure you get every episode of FEC.
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 like, what it isn’t, who goes, who cares, who enjoyed their first taste of a Duke’s private passage and who gets all bah humbug about it.
BMW Motorrad Days at Garmisch: what it is, where it is, the bits we can talk about (and the bits we can’t), plus the new bikes announced there (and the bikes that weren’t).
KTM’s Adventure Rally in Wales: an orange dirtstravaganza which we didn’t actually go to, only we sort of did but were a day or two late. Plus some insights into the forthcoming 790 Adventure and its curious pendulous saddlebag petrol tanks.
More new bike news and rumours, including whether Kawasaki have a new ZX-6R up their green sleeves, and what it might mean for the supersport class.
What to wear in a heatwave: full leathers, mesh textiles or heated vests? No, really…
MotoGP from Assen. Wow, etc.
The questionably successful but unquestionably first episode of Can You Guess What Bike I Ride If I Give You Some Hints About Me And My Riding Background.
Motorcycling must-haves, things to take touring and things to leave at home, old bikes with modern technology and much, much more…
Thank you once again for letting us into your ears, and thank you once again to www.bikesocial.co.uk – the place you should be going to download this podcast, and the place you should be going for all your online motorcycle needs (and, heck, why not get an insurance quote from Bennetts while you’re there?)
Front End Chatter – Episode 78
Anyway, whichever universe you're in, we give thanks to the omnipotent and almighty deities at www.bikesocial.co.uk the UK's most all-encompassing biking website, and Bennetts, the bike insurance people.
Right, in this episode we have:
MotoGP action from the Czechs...
Big Harley-Davidson news, including a guess as to why they're revealing their plans for the next 5 years now...
Martin's thoughts on riding the Yamaha Niken...
And all your lovely emails – and there are many. We'd love to tell you about them but the damn cat is mewing at the back door and I can't concentrate. Download, listen, you'll find out.
Thanks for your ears; please email your questions, musings and ruminations to anything@frontendchatter.com
Front End Chatter – Episode 79
In episode 79 of Britain's best biking podcast – supported, sustained and stimulated by BikeSocial (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 thinks they should have raced, who decided to cancel, who thinks they shouldn't have cancelled, is anyone going to accept responsibility, and can we cover all this without getting threatened with legal action?
You can't stop the rock – but you can stop all motorsports activity at Rockingham. Britain's newest race circuit is about to become Britain's newest former race circuit – we explain why it's shutting, when it's all over, whether we'll miss it, and what it's going to become instead.
And the main event: a solid gold interview with Marc Márquez himself, live and in person (and courtesy of Shoei), talking his place in history, his regrets, his outrageous riding technique, his future, whether winning or having fun is more important, saving the front, the best rider of all time, his favourite rider, and how many crash helmets he gets through each year given all his trips to the tarmac.
If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.