China’s First 8-Cylinder Touring Motorcycle

The Honda GoldWing as a source of inspiration

Chinese automaker GWM, Great Wall Motor, has been preparing to enter the motorcycle market for some time with its subsidiary Souo Motorcycles. While neither of the two brands are really known in Middle East, the two-wheeler subsidiary is making a name for itself with an unconventional touring bike in the works.

While BMW Motorrad has already experimented with the inline six-cylinder on the K1600 and Honda the flat six on the GoldWing, Souo is going even bigger with a flat eight-cylinder engine.

While eight-cylinder engines are usually the preserve of very exclusive projects, Souo has developed an engine very close to the Honda block here. The two extra cylinders are not the only difference, as the cylinder size is also reduced and the total displacement is around 2,000 cm3.

The similarities go even further, as a recently published patent shows the use of a dual-clutch transmission, as well as a shaft final drive.

Here is a summary of the key points:

• GWM is entering the motorcycle market with its subsidiary Souo Motorcycles.
• Souo is developing an unconventional touring bike with an eight-cylinder engine.
• The engine is based on the Honda GoldWing’s flat six-cylinder engine.
• The engine will have a displacement of around 2,000 cm3.
• The bike will use a dual-clutch transmission and a shaft final drive.