Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. It has been recalled 6 times.
Most common 1998 Buell S1 White Lightning problems
1 of the 4 complaints (25%) are about the engine.
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Suspension › Rear
1
0
0
0
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc · brakes
1
1
0
1
Power Train › Manual Transmission · transmission
1
0
0
0
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and Associated Pulleys · engine
1
0
0
0
6 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly99V105000
Filed May 6, 199912,321 vehiclesBuell Motorcycle Co.
Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THESE MOTORCYCLES WERE BUILT WITH A FUEL TANK VENT VALVE ASSEMBLY THAT COULD BECOME PLUGGED.
Risk. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THIS COULD CAUSE THE CARBURETOR TO OVERFLOW FUEL WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. THIS CONDITION COULD ALSO PREVENT SUFFICIENT FUEL FLOW, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO MISFIRE OR STALL.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK VENT VALVE ASSEMBLY.
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly › Mounting99V104000
Filed May 6, 199910,556 vehiclesBuell Motorcycle Co.
Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THESE MOTORCYCLES WERE BUILT WITH A FUEL TANK MOUNT SYSTEM THAT COULD, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, ALLOW THE FUEL TANK TO SEPARATE FROM THE MOTORCYCLE.
Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN EXPLOSION OR FIRE.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK MOUNT SYSTEM.
Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THE FRONT ISOLATOR MOUNT SYSTEM CAN LOSE CLAMP LOAD AND POSSIBLY BREAK.
Risk. THIS COULD LEAD TO AN UNINTENDED DISTRACTION TO THE DRIVER, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT ISOLATOR MOUNT SYSTEM.
All 6 campaigns on file, newest first.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › DiscCrash1 injured
Filed Nov 6, 2000VA
BRAKE LEVER LIGHTLY TOUCHED AS I WAS GOING INTO THE THE TURN @ 25 MPH, NO BRAKE CONTROL BIKE LEANED INSTEAD OF DOWN, AND I WENT INTO THE DITCH AND FRACTURED MYN PELVIS. THERE ARE 4 KNOW ACCOUNTS OF THE EXACT SAME INCIDENT, ONE WAS BY A DEALER MECHANIC OF WHICH I PURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE FROM HAD LOST CONTROL OF THE BIKE AND BRAKES HE HAD SERVICED. HE HAD A CAR BRAKE INFRONT OF HIM AND HE TOUCHED THE BRAKES A LITTLE AND THE BIKE WENT DOWN, MY BEST FRIEND HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO HIM AND I HAVE READ ARTICLES @ WWW.BADWEATHERBIKERS.COM ON SIMILAR INCIDENTS. THE SAME MODELS AND MAKES OF THE EQUIPMENT ARE THE SAME.*AK
Suspension › Rear
Filed Jun 8, 2000CA
RECALL 99V106000/SWING ARM, AND 99V107 000/REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS: BOTH RECALLS RECEIVED AND REPORTED TO DEALER, BUT STILL BOTH RECALLS HAVE NOT BEEN HONORED. DEALER IS STILL WAITING FOR PARTS FROM MANUFACTURER. OWNER WISHES FOR DEALER TO REPURCHASE VEHICLE. *ML
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and Associated Pulleys
Filed Jun 5, 2000NY
MAIN BELT DRIVE BROKE WHILE MOTORCYCLE WAS IN MOTION..COULD HAVE LOCKED UP THE REAR WHEEL CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *AK
Power Train › Manual Transmission
Filed Oct 4, 1999HI
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. *AK
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: May 6, 1999. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.