Hello and benvenuto to Front End Chatter, Britain’s most tardy motorcycling podcast with Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves. And why not. And, lest we forget, grazie to our wonderfully benevolent benefactors Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, from who you can secure not only, some say, the most competitive insurance premiums in the business, but who also are the only bike insurers who plough so much back into motorcycling – where do you want your cash to go? Into the pockets of fat cat shareholders using retired racers as a PR stunt for an existing bike insurance broker? Or actually back into motorcycling and, full disclosure, into our pockets?

Right, on Episode 138 of FEC we natter about:

• MotoGP from Mugello, in which the racing was overshadowed by the death of Moto3 talent Jason Dupasquier in qualifying. But the racing went ahead anyway: should it? Plus why can't Marc Marquez and Alex Rins stay upright? 
• we also natter about Yamaha’s R7 (we wuz rite)
• why southern Italy is a cool place to ride a bike
• why a 2021 Tracer 9 GT is a good bike to ride it on
• why a 2021 BMW S1000 XR maybe isn't
• and Simon's completely unbiased opinion of Bridgestone's new Battlax T32 sport touring tyres (cheque to the usual please Mr Stone)

Plus!

• do we still have to deduct a Covid year of not riding from a helmet's life? 
• should we give Harley's Pan Am a chance?
• if adventure bikes are the bikes for all occasions, and we don't like scooters, what doe we think of Honda's X-ADV? 
• should a first-time A2-licence bike owner go for a project bike or a new/used bike - and what's the best pillion A2 bike? 

All this and much more! Is this the longest FEC ever?  Many thanks again to Bennetts and www.bikesocial.co.uk, please remember to like and subscribe and leave a review on iTunes, please send your questions, queries and thoughts to [email protected] And please follow/get in touch on Twitter and Insta @Mufga @SimonHBikes