Front End Chatter

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, Episode 162 of the long-running family of motorcycling podcasts featuring wayward sons Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons (combined motorcycle journalism age: 50+, combined mental age: -50), supported like a pair of workshy fops by the patriarchal benevolence of Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists and bikesocial.co.uk, the place on t'internet to get all your bike info. And on this week's FEC we have: • when does riding off-road stop being fun? • Peco Bagnaia done for drink-driving and sticking his car in a ditch • Suzuki cease World Endurance support as well as MotoGP – is it the beginning of the end? • detail on Ducati's V21L MotoE race bike (which exists and be ridden) and Triumph's TE-1 prototype (which exists but won't) • bolt-ons that make you ride like an idiot All this an much more... Thanks everyone for listening, please send your thoughts, feelings, emotive pleas and questions to: [email protected] Get us on Twitter and Insta: @SimonHbikes @Mufga

Welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain's favourite biking and egg-throwing podcast, presented by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves, and supported by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and bikesocial.co.uk, the best and most complete motorcycling website on the, er, web.

On episode 161 of FEC:

• When is a MotoGP crash a mistake and when is it reckless riding, and what's the difference?
• what is a Maeving RM1 and are friends electric? • Mufga puts his best foot forward at the Royal Enfield Slide School
• RIP Steve Harris, one third of Harris Performance
• How much power is too much, and what does too much feel like?
• How do we ride with people who are slower than us, and is it ok to get a bit frustrated sometimes?
• Is a slow, safe rider a 'better' rider than a quicker but riskier rider?

All this and much more, including pillow-fighting.

Thanks for your ears, please spread the good word (and the bad ones), and get us on the socials:

@SimonHbikes

@Mufga

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter, Britain's Podcastiest Motorcycle, brought to you by Simone Hargreaves, Martina Fitz-Gibbons, Ben Nets (the bike insurance specialists) and bikesocial.co.uk (the best biking website on the er, web). And on this, the 160th episode, we have for your aural delectation, gossip about: • Marc Marquez – will he or won't he? • Suzuki – will they or won't they? • MotoGP – is it better than WSB or not? • The FEC800 – was it amazing, or was it amazing? • Simon's injury – is it broken leg or ankle? • Yamaha's Ténéré 700 World Raid – is it better than a Ténéré 700 or not? ...and much, much more! Thank you very much for listening, and please follow Simon and Martin on the socials: @Mufga @SimonHbikes And get your insurance from Bennetts, visit www.bikesocial.co.uk, subscribe to RiDE magazine and buy your kit from www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

Hello and welcome everyone to Episode 159 of Front End Chatter, Britain's Lengthiest Motorcycling Podcast – supported and extended by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and Bikesocial.co.uk, the best biking website on, er the web. And on FEC159 we have: • MotoGP gossip from Portimao and Jerez • the FEC800 is nearly upon us! • Suzuki Bennetts BikeSocial Busa Bonanza • the planned trials of 'noise speed cameras' • more on motorcycling training in the US • disappearing testicles and inopportune arousals •... and plenty more where that came from Thanks again for listening and please keep your thoughts, questions and poetry coming to [email protected] And catch us on the socials: @SimonHBikes @Mufga

Hello and welcome to Episode 158 of Front End Chatter, Britain's most sideways motorcycle podcast, supported by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and BikeSocial.co.uk, the best place on the web for all your biking news, views and reviews. And on E158 we have: • the implications of Marc Marquez' remarkable ride at COTA • what is going on with Alvaro Bautista's hair? • The return of the Honda Hornet, but not as we remember it • Kevin Schwantz and Wayne Rainey ride together again at Goodwood Festival of Speed • Mufga's new bike revealed! • why are some modern bikes too cramped to even fit an alarm? • the merits of revamping your existing track bike instead of buying a new one ...plus much more! Thanks for listening, keep your questions, thoughts and admonishments coming to [email protected] Follow me and him on the socials: @SimonHBikes @Mufga

Hello and welcome everyone to Front End Chatter, Britain's talkiest motorcycle podcast, and episode 157 presented by Martin Fitz-Gibbons and Simon Hargreaves – supported by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and BikeSocial.co.uk, the world of motorcycling on the web.

And on today's episode we cover the following ground:

• MotoGP gossip post Argentina but pre-Circuit of the Americas (well, the North Americas)
• will head-butting a herring gull write off your helmet?
• bar muffs – sensible and comfortable, or unforgiveable fashion faux pas?
• should you take your helmet as hand-luggage or checked-in hold luggage on a flight?
• does a wide helmet aperture reduce riding stress?
• suggestions for extending life of a high-compression two-stroke (no, really)
• best all-season daily textile jacket for under £200
• group riding as a confidence-builder
• and much much more

Thank you so much for continuing to grace us with your ears, and please keep your thoughts and questions coming to [email protected]

Catch us on the socials:

@SimonHBikes

@Mufga

Hello everyone and welcome to Front End Chatter, a motorcycling podcast of sorts in which Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons conspire, despite something like a combined half century in motorcycle journalism, to demonstrate the absence of having learned anything worthwhile. They are ably supported in their endeavours by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and BikeSocial.co.uk, the best motorcycling website in the world. If you're insuring you bike, you'd be well advised to have a look at Bennetts BikeSocial Membership scheme, which gives you access to a vast array of discounts, competitions, tracks days and events – including the upcoming Busa Bonanza: the chance for Hayabusa owners to come to Elvington near York and take their bike up the runway as often as they like. Details below.

Onto FEC Episode 156, among the contents of which you may find:

• guff from the second MotoGP race from Indonesia, including Marc Marquez – he gets knocked down, he gets up again... but how long can this go on?
• MotoGP Unlimited: hit or a miss?
• ex-500GP-and-lots-more old-age-race-ace Jeremy McWilliams wins a race in the US on an American V-twin for the first time since 2010, when he last won a race in the US on an America V-twin
• Busa Bonanza details, and why going fast in a straight line is a Good Thing
• KTM 790 Duke makes a comeback after a colossal one year's absence
• Honda Hawk, a modern café racer based on the, take a guess, yes, the Africa Twin platform
• Triumph's Tiger 1200 ridden, rated, and is it as good as a GS? There isn't lots more, because that's it for this week! Lots of FEC-sack emails thoughts, questions and ponderings in FEC158, promise!

Thanks for listening and supporting FEC, and please continue to spread the word! Follow Simon and Martin on the socials at:

@SimonHBikes @Mufga Busa Bonanza details! Calling all Hayabusa (and B-King) owners, road legal or otherwise… how would you like to attend our event in conjunction with Suzuki GB for as many high-speed runs as you want?

What?We're calling the event, The BikeSocial Busa Bonanza!

BikeSocial and Suzuki GB are inviting all Suzuki Hayabusa (and B-King) owners, road legal or otherwise, to a disused two-mile long airfield for a chance to run their bike flat-out.

Straightliners, the drag racing events experts, will use their immense experience to operate the event with support from BikeSocial and Suzuki GB. Bikes that have run at over 200mph will also be running, and a team of experts will be on hand to help with launches and body positions.

Free professional photos, as well as a commemorative printout of the registered speed at ½ mile and one-mile intervals, and a beautiful sticker(!) will form part of the record of your day.

Suzuki GB will bring several of the latest generation Hayabusa models which can be booked for a trial on the day.

The 2022 Buildbase Suzuki team who'll be competing in the Bennetts British Superbike championship will be in attendance along with riders Christian Iddon and Danny Kent, fresh from the season's opening round at Silverstone.

Come on, how many opportunities will you get to feel what 170mph+ is like?!

Where? Elvington Airfield, Yorkshire, YO41 4AU. A former RAF base.

When? Tuesday, 26th April 2022, 10.30am – 5pm. Gates open from 8:30am. First runs at 10:30 following the safety briefing. No need to pre-register, just turn up. Spectators are welcome too but it'll only be Hayabusa's and B-King's permitted on the runway!

How much? After a £5 entry fee per person (rider, pillion or spectator), the opportunity to run-what-you-brung along the runway will be free of charge for BikeSocial Members, but there'll be a one-off £10 charge for non-members.

There is no restriction on the number of runs between 10.30am – 5pm.

Small print: Riders will be required to sign an indemnity and have their riding gear checked (one-piece leathers preferred though 2-piece leathers must zip-together all the way around) then they'll receive a sticker for their bike and a wristband for themselves.

Only once a safety briefing is completed can the rider join a queue to be escorted to the beginning of the runway.

Only one bike at a time will be permitted on the runway.

The noise restriction is 105dB static.

For those wishing to book one of the latest Suzuki Hayabusa road bikes to test on the runway, you need to provide your licence and DVLA check code. You will be entitled to two runs.

Spectators: £5 (under 16s free but must be accompanied by a fee-paying adult).

BikeSocial members must bring their policy or membership number.

We look forward to welcoming you to Elvington, and don't forget to tell all your Hayabusa owning friends!

For further information or any questions, please email us on [email protected] or join the discussion at the Busa Bonanza Facebook Events page

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter E155, the Ben Bostrom episode, presented by Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons from Chatter Manors, ably supported by Bennetts, the bike insurance experts, and BikeSocial.co.uk, the place for all your motorcycle news, launches, reviews, road tests, product tests and racing.

And on this edition of FEC we have:

• the first round of MotoGP 2022 from Qatar and matters pertaining...
• as Triumph announces the restarting of bike manufacture in the UK, would you pay more for a bike assembled in the UK instead of elsewhere in the world?
• should tech development in MotoGP, like carbon discs and shapeshifters, be limited to relevance on road bikes?
• Honda's V4 history filtered through the FEC mangle

...and much more – nearly two hours' worth of chatter and bobbins. Thank you very much for your ears, please keep your emails, thoughts, opinions and musings to anything@frontendchatter, and catch Martin and Simon the socials... @SimonHBikes

@Mufga

Hello and welcome to Front End Chatter E154, and – please put your lips together and pipe us a tune – it's our 8th birthday! That means Simon has been making Front End Chatter for 14% of his life – and 20% of Mufga's.

Front End Chatter is proud, nay, positively tumescent to be sponsored and supported by Bennetts, the bike insurance specialists, and their multimedia wing, BikeSocial.co.uk. We implore, nay we beseech you to get your bike insurance with Bennetts – bike insurance run by motorcyclists, FOR motorcyclists, and putting more back into the industry than any other bike insurer, FACT. From BSB sponsorship to their YouTube channel with bike reviews and features and kit and gear tests, to the BikeSocial website with news, stories and tests – right through to BikeSocial Membership which gives you access to tons and tons of cool stuff such as: discounts at Sportsbikeshop, money off Yoshimura and Akrapovic exhausts, R&G stuff, Evotec stuff, a VIP weekend at the Nick Sanders Expedition Centre, and bargain track days exclusively for Bike Social members.

Anyway, before all that, a bumper episode of FEC including MotoGP testing from the disintegrating Mandalika circuit, rants about MotoGP Unlimited, surprising indifference to the news Wayne Rainey is riding at Goodwood Festival of Greed Speed, the new Yamaha Ténéré Wordle Raid, and a slew of lovely listener emails.

Keep 'em coming to [email protected]

And catch Simon and Martin on the socials at

@SimonHBikes @Mufga

Hello and welcome to Front Endy Prongs number 153 in the long-running cerealised podcast of motorcycle-related things, sponsored forever and a day by Bennetts, the prince among Thebes of 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. Now, to business. This week Simon and Martin natter about: • MotoGP testing from Sepang • sending long termers back to importers in a crate • taking the bodywork off test bikes on location • Norton ex-boss Stuart Garner pleads guilty • Triumph's TE-1 electric Speed Triple ready for testing • BMW's 2022 K1600 reviewed • and a tone of other stuff, including a smattering of your lovely lovely lovely emails Thanks for continuing to indulge our witterings, and please continue to send emails with thoughts, queries and questions to anything@frontend chatter.com Catch us on the socials at: @SimonHBikes @Mufga