Buell S3T Thunderbolt reviews

I purchased my Buell S3T about a month ago and am ready to sell it after only 200 miles. The overall quality of the bike is very poor, and the handling is even worse. I made numerous attempts to contact Buell with some of the concerns I have but they don't return my calls. The "customer care" line is nothing more than voice mail. Did I mention that I sat on hold for 15 minutes before the voice mail? I've owned about 8 other bike before the Buell, and I can honestly say that this is by far the worst. Junk on wheels. I can almost hear Erik Buell laughing at me as I write this. Show less

Get the V&H pipe XL cams,race module and let the fun begin. H2 and Gamma fans should ride this bike. Huge torque that most inline four bikes just don't have until 5,000 rpm...... the S2 has 80 footpounds on tap at any rev. Show less

I have a 2001 S3 and I love it. The hate part comes in a couple of places, one is the fact that since it is fuel injected it is harder to find a different intake. The other is the fact that I had an Oil leak that no one could find, so my bike was spending more time in the shop than with me, but that has been fixed, and since then I haven't had a problem Show less

I recently got my bike back from the shop and decided to go for a ride with some friends.About 50 miles from home it began backfiring and surging. It is once more headed back to the shop. At this rate I'm going to have to get visitation rights to see my bike. I only hope that the problems are all fixed before the warranty is up. Show less

Found a brand new '97 Thunderbolt S3-T at the local Buell dealership for less than 10 grand in June of this year. A discount of nearly $2500 over the MSRP in '97 and only two miles on the bike made for a really attractive deal. Buells seemed to be the only thing coming out of Wisconsin that you could actually find a "deal" on at the time. It doesn't have the Thunderstorm heads or fuel injection but still makes around 85 ft-lbs or torque and 90h.p., enough to suit my needs. The only immediate problem was with the saddle bag latches which would stick closed leaving stuff inside. The dealer replaced the faulty latches with latches from a newer bike on the floor, which were re-designs, and these have worked flawlessly since. I have put nearly 9000 mi. on the bike since June and in that time the only other problem was the muffler mounts got vibrated into pieces. I put an aftermarket Supertrapp muffler on and it's main mount broke in less than 500 mi., the Buell IS a Milwaukee vibrator after all. I redesigned a cable type mount which allows the muffler to find it's natural state and everthing seems to be holding up well now. The Supertrapp also added a big boost to throttle response in the mid-range which should equal a few more ft-lbs of torque. My main riding is along the Blue Ridge and other mountain ranges here in western NC. The Buell just eats up the curvy hilly roads, roaring up through mountain gaps like they were little hills. This bike is very well suited for mountain riding with plenty of pulling power from the 1203c.c. engine. I weigh 200+ and even with the bags full of gear the bike still pulls hard in fourth gear at 70+mph up these mountains. I'm not a racer so I'm not going to brag about scraping anything or relate an anecdote about blowing past anybody on the track. Let's just say the bikes handling gives me great confidence when the roadsigns start looking like reptile snapshots. I don't believe I've ever worn tires on a street bike so evenly before. My "chicken strip" was 3/8" on the Buell but on my older hawgs the tire would sometimes look square when it was replaced. All in all, I feel like I have a great ride and that Buell will stand behind me if necessary. I can't recall the number of times I've found myself grinning from ear to ear after tackling some back road or cresting the eastern divide. If you like taking long rides on some very curvey roads, the Thunderbolt will make an excellent choice. Show less

What a ride!!! I have owned and crashed a number of bikes. Though this does not make me an expert on cycling, but I do have an honest Write up about the 1999 Buell S3 Thunderbolt. This was my first new motorcycle. When I first saw this bike I fell in love. I rode all summer, then it all started. First my exhaust broke off, and I noticed a bad surge at around 3000 rpms/45 mph. I have Brought it to the dealer 3 times they cant seem to get it right. I just wanted to know if anyone else has the same problem? Please e-mail me with any response to problems. Okay I�m not just writing to bash Buells. I still have an ongoing love affair with this bike that I now share with my fianc�e, who now has commanded ownership. I believe that the S3t is the most enjoyable bike I have ever ridden, its the best of both worlds yet in a class of its own. The S3t has the style and power of a rice burner ,and the bark of a Harley, maybe a little meaner.0 to 100 you say? VERY QUICKLY any more questions? I thoroughly understand that when you by a bike new to the market there are going to be a few bugs. I�m confident that it will get fixed properly and rekindle the old flame once again. To anyone thinking of buying one go for it there has never been a bike like this before and it will only get better. Show less

Well, okay, I have an S3, not an S3-T... but I've added the factory luggage, handlebars, and aftermarket larger windscreen. All that's missing are the fairing lowers, which I don't want anyway. :) I really like this bike. It replaces another sport-tourer, a 1985 Suzuki GS1150ES, and everything I liked about the Suzuki is present in the Buell... only a little moreso. The handling is excellent, the motor strong and torquey, the brakes powerful (albeit a bit grabby when it was new). It also draws attention from other motorcyclists everywhere I go ("What is that? A Harley sportbike? Cool!"). And, for a 6'2" 200-pound rider, the bike *fits*. And there's no damned chain to lube! Yay, belt drive! The rough edges part... the 2000 Buells have had a couple of recalls (rear shock, front muffler mount). At 2500 miles, it developed an oil leak on the rear cylinder rocker-arm cover... a warranty fix. It spits a little oil back through the breather tubes. I'd trust it to go across the country, but let's be honest... it's not a Honda in the reliability department. that's okay, though, at least for me... part of my relationship with my bike involves a set of wrenches and TLC. I like it. Show less

I have to say that you either love it or hate it. I've taken several trips on the S3T, however 300 miles is all my body will take at one time. For two years the Buell was my daily commuter at 80 miles round trip, and aside from normal maintenance, thorough inspections for loose hardware, and necessary upgrades, the bike is a kick to ride. Track time has been limited although the bike performed well on those outings, the need for more cornering clearance was noted. I held off until 20,000 miles to have all the recall work completed, now I'll have wait and see how this affects the Buell overall. As for buying one new at $12,000, never, $8,000 yes. I keep toying with the idea of selling it, however I just cannot part with my Buell. Show less

Okay, so love does come into this relationship I've had with this bike going on three years this march. I've logged 39,000 miles on this bike part of, which included a trip to Key West and back. The bike is a hoot. it handles, it accelerates, and it does the long distance thing well while hauling plenty of cargo, albeit with an aftermarket seat if you want to be able to do this last part for more than a day and a half. But things do tend to break off of this bike like mufflers, saddlebag latches, right fairing lowers, and front brake rotor pins. This can really leave a bad taste in your mouth if it is the first bike you've ever bought brand new and for $13k. would I do again if I had the chance to turn back time? not new for 13k, used for 7k......well it is the only bike that I've onwned that people have run up to me at gas stations to ask me about. Show less

I had the pleasure of logging about 4500 miles on a S3T this past summer. It has changed the way I look at riding. I've spent the last 16 years riding Harleys, had lots of fun, looked cool and all that. This past summer I put more miles on Buells than I did my other three bikes combined. Now before you think I didn't ride that much I also put about 4000 miles on M2s and X1s. You see I am a lucky guy that sells Harleys and Buells. The Buells are much more fun to ride than any other bike I've ever had. The power, handling and style of riding are different than I'm used to and I have to admit lots more fun! The S3T is only 5-10% less comfortable than my Electra Glide but it wheelies 150% better. If you're looking for a perfect blend of comfort and performance buy a S3T. Later Dave Show less