Two star presenters of popular BBC show Top Gear are selling off a dozen bikes in their classic motor cycle collections – as they tease about becoming ‘unemployed’.

Motoring pundit James May – dubbed ‘Captain Slow’ - is putting eight of his two-wheeled treasures under the hammer, while co-presenter Richard Hammond, known as ‘The Hamster’ is doing the same with four of his.

It’s got potential bidders and Top Gear fans wondering whether it is just the bikes that will soon be ‘going, going, gone’?

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Captain Slow: James May is selling eight of his classic motorbike collection in the aftermath of Top Gear controversy

Totted up together the 12 motor bikes command a guide price estimate of up to £66,000, though the celebrity links to them at a time when the very future of Top Gear and its controversial presenters – including recently sacked Jeremy Clarkson – could command a hefty premium.

The Top Gear duo’s bikes are being sold off by auctioneers Bonhams at their Spring Stafford Sale later this month.

May insisted the decision to sell the bikes came before the latest BBC Top Gear turmoil, saying: ’Just because I’m unemployed now doesn’t mean I have to get rid of everything.

‘I was going to sell these bikes anyway. And those paintings, and my collection of Scalextric cars. Honest’.

Hammond added: ‘As a serious collector of motorcycles, it’s important to review one’s stable regularly, and the Bonhams Stafford sale is the ideal opportunity to move bikes on and possibly acquire new ones.

'I also have a canoe, and some Wharfedale hi-fi speakers, if anyone’s interested’.

Speed demon: Richard Hammond is selling off four of his collection - and collectively, it is expected to bank him up to £36,500

May’s eight motorbikes are expected to fetch between £21,900 and £29,100 – or about the price of a mid-range family car such as a Ford Mondeo.

His most expensive punt is with a 2010 Yamaha SR400 ‘Grievous Angel’ by Deus Ex Machina valued at between £8,000 and £12,000.

By contrast, Hammond’s four bikes are predicted to fetch between £27,500 and £36,500, putting him firmly in BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz executive car territory.

His most expensive bike to be sold off is a hand-built 2010 Norton Commando 961SE predicted to fetch up to £18,500.

Bike dream: This 1976 Suzuki AP50 E of May's is expected to fetch £2,000-2,400. It's lot 327

However the cheapest bike from the Top Gear pair could prove a reasonably priced bargain at a guide price starting at just £800 for May’s 1979 Suzuki TS250.

The catalogue entries say the pair also have a history of trading bikes between themselves and notes that ‘avid collector’ Hammond 'has a large collection of other motorcycles to choose from'.

Ben Walker, Bonhams’ international head of motorcycles, said: ‘Jokes aside, James and Richard are offering for sale some great motorcycles from their collections, including examples of Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Norton .’

But he accepted: Timing is all.

Easy rider: This Kawasaki 250cc A1 Samurai owned by James May is expected to sell for £5,000-6,000. It's lot 332

‘We expect the collection to attract a lot of attention at the upcoming Spring Stafford Sale. We’re delighted that they both elected to consign their collections with Bonhams Motorcycle Department, an agreement that originated many months ago’.

He added: ’They’ve each got great collections which they are rationalising. You can’t ride them all. They are trimming it down.

‘Some bidders may well be swayed by who owned these bikes, others may be interested in the bikes in their own right.’

Impressive: This 2010 Yamaha SR400 'Grievous Angel' by Deus Ex Machina is the most expensive of James May's collection, and is expected to fetch between £8,000-12,000. It's lot 333

For nostalgia-buffs of a certain age, both of the presenters are selling off examples of the classic ‘Fizzie’ mopeds and ‘Sixteener Specials’ of under 50cc which hark back to the 1970s when 16-year-olds – now in middle age - would drive around on them on L-plates.

The auction programme says of the 1974 Yamaha 49cc FS1-E ‘Fizzie’ being sold by James May with a guide price of between £2,000 and £2,400 it says: ‘Now elevated to a cult status rivalled only by Yamaha's RD350LC, the FS1-E 'Sixteener Special' first appeared in 1973.

‘Originally the 'FS1', the model later gained a set of bicycle pedals to meet UK moped legislation, becoming the 'FS1-E'. In its pre-August 1977, unrestricted form, the 'Fizzie' produced 4.9bhp and was good for around 45mph flat out. ‘

Nostalgic: This 1975 Yamaha 49cc FS1-E owned by Richard Hammond should go for £2,500-3,500. It's lot 337

It notes: ‘BBC Television's 'Top Gear' presenter, James May acquired this FS1-E for his private collection in December 2011, since when it has covered only 50-or-so miles.

'Restored circa 2007 and described as in generally good condition, though with a typically weak clutch, it represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire one of these increasingly collectible motorcycling icons.’

The brochure notes that: ‘The machine is offered with a quantity of expired MOT certificates, a purchase receipt (made out to Richard Hammond), V5C registration document and MOT/tax to 2016.

Of Hammond’s 1975 Yamaha ‘Fizzie’ FS1-E, the auction catalogue says: ‘Richard Hammond purchased this superb original FS1-E in December 2011. MoT'd to January 2016 and described as in generally excellent condition, it represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire one of these increasingly collectible motorcycling icons.’

Beast: This 1970 Triton 500cc 'Café Racer' is expected to sell for £6,500-8,500 in the auction and the end of the month. It's lot 336

Bonhams Spring Stafford Sale is the biggest motorcycle auction which it hosts in the UK. It takes place at the International Classic MotorCycle Show, at Staffordshire County Showground on Sunday 26 April 2015. The sale features 45 lots of automobilia, and almost 350 motorcycles.

The most valuable lot in the sale is estimated at between £220,000 and £260,000 for Lot 294, a 1939 Vincent-HRD 998cc Series-A Rapide.

The future of Top Gear, its presenters and the spin-off merchandising and events has been up in the air since BBC boss announced last month that Jeremy Clarkson’s seven-figure contract would not be renewed after his attack on a Top Gear producer.

BBC director general Lord Hall sacked Clarkson, 54, after an internal inquiry found he had launched an ‘unprovoked verbal and physical attack’ on junior producer Oisin Tymon, 36.

The row broke out after the star complained no hot food was available at the Yorkshire hotel where the TV crew were staying after a day’s filming.

James May’s motorbikes going under the hammer:

• Lot 326: 1974 Yamaha 49cc FS1-E – £2,000-2,400

• Lot 327: 1976 Suzuki AP50 E – £2,000-2,400

• Lot 328: 1980 Ossa 250cc MAR Trials Motorcycle – £1,200-1,500

• Lot 329: 1979 Suzuki TS250 – £800-1,200

• Lot 330: 1973 Honda CD175 – £1,400-1,800

• Lot 331: 1975 Honda CB200 – £1,500-1,800

• Lot 332: 1971 Kawasaki 250cc A1 Samurai – £5,000-6,000

• Lot 333: 2010 Yamaha SR400 'Grievous Angel' by Deus Ex Machina –£8,000-12,000

Richard Hammond’s motorbikes :

• Lot 334: 1977 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing – £4,000-6,000

• Lot 335: 2010 Norton Commando 961SE – £14,500-18,500

• Lot 336: 1970 Triton 500cc 'Café Racer' – £6,500-8,500

• Lot 327: 1975 Yamaha 49cc FS1-E – £2,500-3,500