The 1996 Buell S1 Lightning has 3 recalls, the most serious involving two electrical faults that can cause the engine to cut out without warning while riding, raising the risk of a crash.
Two separate electrical issues can kill the engine mid-ride: a side stand switch that can stop functioning, and a negative battery cable that can break. Either condition can stall the motorcycle suddenly with no warning to the rider. On the lighting side, there is a compliance recall involving the turn signal system: if one or more turn signal bulbs fail, the dashboard indicator light does not speed up its flash rate to alert the rider, meaning a burned-out turn signal can go unnoticed.
At a glance
What can fail
The side stand switch may stop working properly, causing the engine to suddenly stall or quit while you're riding, which could lead to a crash.
What the fix does
The side stand switch will be replaced with a new one.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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At a glance
What can fail
The negative battery cable can break, causing the engine to stall or stop while riding without warning.
What the fix does
The negative battery cable will be inspected and replaced if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The turn signal flasher may not alert you if a turn signal lamp fails. A broken lamp won't cause the dashboard indicator light to flash differently, so you might not notice the problem.
What the fix does
The turn signal flasher unit will be replaced with one that properly alerts you to lamp failures.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
