The main features are a sports chassis with space frame and upside-down forks , a higher performance 1199 cc Sportster engine from Harley-Davidson and the belt drive . This is a classic half-shell covering. The result is a very fast moving and sufficiently comfortable to bike with a relatively low total weight.
The vehicle was unveiled to the public in 1996 and came with the model year 1997, from the beginning to the German brands. In contrast to the radical model Buell S1 Lightning was the Thunderbolt, at least in Germany itself denied modest success. Thus, although the S3 end of 2001 (model year 2002) and is allowed to produce up until then the longest built Buell model referred to it as, however, the S3 in the model year 1999 in Germany offered last.
