Front End Chatter #222

Hello and sorry and welcome to Front End Chatter, and episode 222 of the motorcycling podcast that may (or may not) owe you an apology. That grovelling worm is Martin Fitz-Gibbons, and that recalcitrant rascal is Simon Hargreaves. Having spent several months avoiding facing up to the monster they unwittingly (in both senses) created, they're back with two hours of unrehearsed waffle about all things biking. As always they'd like to atone for their two-wheeled transgressions to Bennetts, Britain's best motorcycle insurers, represented on the interwebs by both BikeSocial (bikesocial.co.uk) and BikeClub (bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk) – between them a bewilderingly big bonanza of motorcycling news, product reviews, used bike buying guides, industry expert advice and so much more. In this contrite (but alas not concise) episode of Britain's best biking podcast, Simon and Mufga discuss: • Bikes for which manufacturers owe us an apology • Riding a Manx Norton (ah) followed by a Norton Manx R – read more in Bike magazine • BMW's R1300RS and Moto Guzzi's V100 Mandello S – read more in Bike magazine • Touring to Spa on BMW's ludicrous M1000XR – read more in RiDE magazine • How 'downgrading' tyres can improve a bike's ride and handling • What went on at the 2026 Isle of Man TT • Every biking engine layout, what they have in common, and which is best • Whether speed limiters ruin sports-tourers • The glory days of grey imports, and why they died out Thank you, one and all, for choosing to pour some Front End Chatter into your ears. Please keep sending your questions, thoughts, comments, wonderings and ponderings to [email protected] Until next time – whenever that may be...