Eight-cylinder Gold Wing killer By Ben Purvis
The Beijing Internation Motorcycle Exhibition was the platform for one of the most remarkable launches in years as a complete newcomer to the bike market unveiled two machines aimed squarely at Honda’s range-topping Gold Wing.
Statements of intent don’t come much bolder, and this wasn’t some unsubstantiated plan from an underfunded startup, but a pair of production-ready bikes from a global automotive giant that’s already bigger than companies like Renault, Nissan, Suzuki or Mazda.
The company in question is Great Wall Motors, the world’s 19th-biggest car maker by market cap, valued at $28bn. Great Wall already owns at least five car and truck brands offered on international markets - Ora, Haval, Wey, Tank and Great Wall might not be hugely familiar in the West yet, but they’re making headway against established rivals - and it’s created a whole new company to act as its motorcycle arm. Great Wall Souo is the bike company’s name (it translates to Soul) and the first models are the S2000GL and S2000ST.
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How do you out-do the Gold Wing, a bike that’s already synonymous with motorcycling excess? By turning everything up a couple of notches. The S2000GL and ST are rivals to the Gold Wing Tour and the base Gold Wing respectively, the GL featuring a top case and armchair-like pillion seat, while the ST has side case only.
Both mimic the Gold Wing’s engine layout, with opposed-cylinder motors mounted above a shaft-drive transmission, but instead of 1,833 cc and six cylinders like the current Gold Wing, they each have 2,000 cc and eight cylinders. Yes, these bikes use the world’s first motorcycle-specific flat eight engine and promise to be the first mass-produced eight-cylinder motorcycles ever to reach showrooms in large numbers.
There’s no official power or torque claim yet, but type-approval documents certify the bikes at 113 kW (151.5 hp) - beating the 125 hp Honda Gold Wing by a clear margin. Honda’s flagship has a seven-speed, dual-clutch semi-automatic transmission, so the Souo S2000 has an eight-speed dual-clutch semi-auto. The Gold Wing uses single overhead camshafts, so the S2000 has double overhead cams. It’s bigger than a 'Wing', too, with a wheelbase of 1,810 mm that’s 115 mm longer than the Honda’s 1,695 mm. The overall length of 2,660 mm is 185 mm longer than the 2,475 mm Gold Wing. Bikes don’t come much bigger than this, and like the Gold Wing, there’s a reverse gear as well as forward ratios to help manoeuvres. You’ll need it - the lighter ‘ST’ version of the Souo S2000 weighs 450 kg, while the full-dress ‘GL’ variant is 461 kg. The equivalent Gold Wing and Gold Wing Tour come in at 367 kg and 390 kg respectively, so the Chinese eight-cylinder is up to 83 kg heavier than its Japanese counterpart.
Like the Gold Wing and BMW’s K1600, the S2000 models use a Hossack-style front suspension system with cast aluminium girder forks supported by a double wishbone and monoshock arrangement below the steering head. It’s a setup that makes sense for large, heavy tourers, separating braking and suspension forces to allow soft springing without excessive brake dive.
The Souo project won’t end with the S2000. The company is already planning to launch another model - a cruiser-style bike based on the same engine, with styling similar to the Honda Rune and F6C Valkyrie. Great Wall Motor’s owner and Chairman Wei Jianjun is China’s 13th-richest individual with a fortune worth $13.1bn and a lifelong motorcycle fan. Given the success he’s steered Great Wall Motors to since taking over in his 20s in 1990, Souo stands a strong chance of becoming a serious player in China and internationally.
