vehicle signal
U.S. public vehicle records

Buell S1 WHITE LIGHTNING problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

3 owner complaints analyzed

6 distinct recall campaigns

Not available median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1997 to 1998 model years. Data snapshot: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 3 complaints (33.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior133.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys
1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc
1
Suspension:Rear
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc1
Suspension:Rear1

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc: 1; Suspension:Rear: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

No usable failure mileage is recorded. 3 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000
3
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20003

2000: 3

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 735838 · 2000-11-06 (November 6, 2000)

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 SIMI…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 735838 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

1997
1
1998
6
Recall campaigns data
CategoryCount
19971
19986

1997: 1; 1998: 6

Year-by-year records

Buell S1 WHITE LIGHTNING model-year comparison
Model yearComplaintsRecallsChange in recalls
199701Not available
199836+5