JAMES CAPTAIN

197cc Petrol Class 1

#775 of 5426 overall #1 of 2 JAMESs #471 of 2787 other bikes

90.6%

first-time pass rate

4.3%

failed outright

14,036

median miles at test

394

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2012

The CAPTAIN's first-time pass rate has risen 3.0 points since 2006, 91.4% to 94.4%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the CAPTAIN's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage CAPTAIN passes first time 87.1% of the time; by 30k that's 94.7%.

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a CAPTAIN

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects
lighting and signalling	16	33.3
steering and suspension	13	27.1
brakes	8	16.7
fuel and exhaust	5	10.4
tyres and wheels	4	8.3
body and structure	1	2.1
driving controls	1	2.1

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the CAPTAIN beats 4 of its 4 closest rivals (YAMAHA YP250, YAMAHA WR250F, HONDA XR250).

YAMAHA YP250 82.5% pass · 12.4k tests YAMAHA WR250F 78.0% pass · 10.5k tests HONDA XR250 78.8% pass · 9,277 tests HONDA CBF250 84.9% pass · 7,536 tests

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the CAPTAIN.

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 1959 (92.9% pass). Weakest: 1958 (86.2%).

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.