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CAPTAIN SLOW DOWN

Ex-Top Gear man James May nicked for speeding in a 30mph zone – half a mile after picking up new 160mph motorbike

He admits to 'shamefully' breaking the limit just minutes after first sitting in the saddle of his Honda CBR600RR

FORMER Top Gear presenter James May was caught speeding  just minutes after buying a new 160mph motorbike.

So-called Captain Slow picked up the high-powered Honda CBR600RR from a dealership in west London.

 James May out and about on his racy Honda bike in London
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James May out and about on his racy Honda bike in LondonCredit: Rex Features
 The TV presenter admitted he'd been caught on Twitter
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The TV presenter admitted he'd been caught on TwitterCredit: Twitter

May was caught just moments after purchasing the new motorbike and admitted his conviction was a “bit shameful, really”.

“It’s a fair cop,” he told his 2.72 million followers on Twitter as he posted a map of where he was caught. “I’ll come quietly.”

May had tweeted last month he had been “busted for speeding in the first 16 miles” after buying his new motorbike, but revealed on Monday it had actually taken him less than a mile to break the limit.

He will now take a speed awareness course rather than accepting the points, because he already has three on his licence.

“I try to respect speed limits and rules in urban areas,” he said.

“Out on the motorways and in the country it’s a bit different, but I try to abide by the rules in the city.

“I was caught this time. That stretch of road used to be 40 [miles per hour], but they recently brought it down to 30,” he told the .

His new show The Grand Tour, in which he will once again be appearing alongside presenters Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, will be shown on Amazon Prime this autumn.

 

 May posted the route he took after his picked up his motorbike
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May posted the route he took after his picked up his motorbikeCredit: Twitter
 The stretch of the North Circular Road where he was caught
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The stretch of the North Circular Road where he was caughtCredit: Google Street

Jeremy Clarkson revealed he was set to receive points on his driving licence after he was caught by a camera as he drove from Whitby in North Yorkshire to London.

He was going so fast that he was not offered the option of taking a speed awareness course instead of the points.

Clarkson also found himself in hot water in 2008 after he claimed to have driven 186mph on a public road, saying: “The speed limit’s annoying for people who have a job to do.”

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