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1998 Buell S1w White Lightning Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

6 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious97V153000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THIS CONDITION CAN PREVENT THE FRONT WHEEL FROM ROTATING raises the risk of A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPAIR THESE MOTORCYCLES.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MOTORCYCLES. THE E-CLIP WHICH RETAINS THE DRIVE PIN ON THE FRONT BRAKE ROTOR AND CARRIER CAN SEPARATE FROM THE DRIVE PIN ALLOWING THE PIN TO MOVE OUT OF POSITION AND COME IN CONTACT WITH THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPER.

Complaint volume

6 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
0Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 6 complaints. Severity Index 0.00.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Exterior Lighting · Turn …1 · 17%Structure · Body1 · 17%Electrical System · 12v/2…1 · 17%Fuel System, Gasoline · S…1 · 17%Engine And Engine Cooling…1 · 17%Suspension · Front · Shoc…1 · 17%
  1. Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal — 1 reports
  2. Structure:Body — 1 reports
  3. Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery:Cables — 1 reports
  4. Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly — 1 reports
  5. Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control — 1 reports
  6. Suspension:Front:Shock Absorber — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1998 · 1999

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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