Awrite hens and laddies, and welcome to a very special episode of Front End Chatter presented, ingested and recorded LIVE at the Highland Fling tour(s) in bonnie, sunny (no, really) Scotland!

With not a lot to discuss in the world of motorcycling at the moment - other than the uncertain future of one of Europe's biggest bike manufacturers, plus a raft of new flagship models revealed by another of Europe's biggest bike manufacturers - our fabulous FECers have boldly stepped into our creative breach.

Episode #212 is a Live FECsack extravaganza, with a wealth of wicked wonderings wittered by Highland Fling tourists spaken in the vague direction of Simon McHargreaves and Martin McFitz-Gibbons, including but not limited to…

• Does the rise of Chinese bikes mean certain doom for European brands?
• What effect will US tariffs have on motorcycling?
• Can KTM repair its reputation - and who would we pick to run it going forwards?
• What substance, material or concept should power motorcyclings's future?
• If you could only ride one road for the rest of your life, which would it be?
• And what would you ride it on?
• What's all the fuss about two-strokes?
• What would be the least-enjoyable bike to ride the Highland Fling on?
• Risk - what is it, why do we take it, and how much do we try to avoid it?
• What would be the best bike for Mufga and Si to ride two-up to Gdańsk?

Thanks to everyone for the fabulous questions!

Speaking of thanks, our recognition, acknowledgement and gratitudes are, as always, directed to Bennetts, Britain's best bike insurers, and BikeSocial.co.uk, home to all the very best motorcycling news and reviews.

Plus our enormous, heartfelt appreciation to Paul at MCi Tours - mcitours.com - for all his graft in taking charge of the grown-up logistics that enabled the FEC Highland Fling tours to happen. Thank you, Papa Smurf, sorry you couldn't make it, and see you in September!

Right, that's it, we're outta here, dinner's calling. Regular service resumes soon(ish) so please keep your emails coming in to anything@frontendchatter.com

Guid cheerio the nou!

Hello and welcome (and a special hello and welcome to Adam Danger, who reads this 'sometimes')... to Episode 211 of Front End Chatter, the motorbicycling podcast prefrontally-lobotomised by Simon Hargreaves and Martin Fitz-Gibbons, two motorcycle journalists who've been doing since their own, personal Day Ones.

We are, as always and hopefully forever, in debt to and grateful for the patronage of Bennetts, Britain's Best Bike Insurers – FACT – and bikesocial.co.uk, the bestest and brightest biking website and YouTube channel, amen.

And on the pod this time around the sun, we have:
• news of BMW's R1300 R
• how to make BMW's £25k R1300 GSA better for £9.99 (with thanks to Neil at NJW Moto YouTube)
• Yamaha's half fuel, half battery hybrid MT-09
• KTM in more trouble
• Triumph's smashing super smart updated Trident and Tiger Sport 660s

Plus emails and missives from you, dear FEC listener, including a spectacular rant from Martin – bit of a collector's item.

Thank you very much for listening, look forward to seeing some of you on the forthcoming FEC Highland Flings (have I mentioned we're going ON HOLIDAY!)...

..oh, and please send your emails, questions, queries, thoughts, ponderings, which bike should you buy next to:
anything@frontendchatter.com

Chars!

Hello you lovely FECers you, and welcome to Episode 210 of the long-running, will-it-never-end, Front End Chatter podcast for motorcycles and motorcyclists, spoken out loud by Simian Hardgleaves and Marsupial Fatz-Domino.

We are, as ever, indebted and beholden unto Lord Bennetts, Britannia's Best Bike Insurers and may his whaling fleet never run out of blubber, and bikesocial.co.uk, the hostess with the mostess, you know, you know... the one that goes up to 11.

And on this month's episode we have, among many other things:
• a bit of gen on Honda's Hornet 1000 and SP, including how much a piston costs and how many years' warranty you get
• who Ixion was, what he has to do with Canon Basil H Davies, and why his 1279 miles in 1905 on a Triumph came to be repeated in 2025...
• a game of 'If bikes were family members...'
• you know what, it's so long ago I've already forgotten but it's jam-packed with yummy goodness, trust me, I should know.

Get him and he on the socials:
@Mugfa
@SimonHBikes (or something like that)

And please email your missives and massives to anything@frontendchatter.com

Does anyone actually ever read this?