Great Wall Souo S2000 By Ben Purvis
The reveal of the S2000GL and S2000ST tourers by new Chinese brand Great Wall Souo Motorcycles earlier this year was the clearest signal yet that China is becoming a serious rival to the established Japanese and Western motorcycle industries. Now, as production of the bikes is about to start, more details of the machines and their remarkable flat-eight engine have emerged.
Souo is a new subsidiary of Chinese car-making giant Great Wall Motors, which already offers a broad range of cars and trucks around the world, both combustion engine and electric-powered, under several brand names. The Souo project has been underway for several years already, with vast levels of funding from Great Wall, and the S2000 models are the result.
The two bikes are direct rivals to the Honda Gold Wing and Gold Wing Tour, as well as high-end Harleys and other large touring models, and take the straightforward path of going a step further than their rivals in every direction.
Power comes from an engine that mimics the Gold Wing's flat cylinder arrangement, but with eight cylinders rather than six, and a 1,999 cc capacity. Although Souo didn't reveal many details at the original launch, we now know that the engine is a relatively low-revving, torque-focused design with a 'square' bore and stroke ratio, each measuring 69 mm. Peak power, which wasn't originally announced at the bike's launch, is 151.5 bhp, comparing favorably against the Gold Wing's 125 hp.
The engine sits above an eight-speed dual clutch transmission, again mirroring the Gold Wing, but adding an extra ratio above the Honda's seven speeds, and there's a reverse gear as well to help with low-speed maneuvers.
world's first flat-eight production bike
That will come in handy, as the Chinese bikes are vastly heavy. The weight wasn't mentioned at the launch, but official figures show that the lighter 'ST' version without a top box comes in at 450 kg including fuel, which compares to 367 kg for a Gold Wing DCT, while the 'GL' variant with an armchair-style passenger seat and top case that increases luggage space to a total of 118 liters, clocks in at 461 kg, 71 kg more than a top spec Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT. Those numbers mean that when an average rider is aboard, the bikes will be over half a tonne.
To keep control over the mass, Souo has confirmed that the suspension - which includes a Hossack-style girder front end design similar to the Gold Wing and BMW's K1600 models - is supported by electronically-controlled dampers, with settings operated via the 12.3-inch touchscreen dash. That dash is home to a Qualcomm Snapdragon SA8155P processor developed specifically for automotive infotainment systems, making its first appearance on a motorcycle.
Other car-like elements include a rear-facing radar for blind spot monitoring, as well as tire pressure monitors, built-in, map-based navigation and, of course, a high-spec stereo system.