We recently mentioned Great Wall Motor’s plans to launch its own motorcycle company and a huge tourer with an eight-cylinder engine, but it’s still surprising to see that the motorcycle has already been launched. Furthermore, it was launched with the support of a major global automotive company, so there is a possibility that it could be a real contender.
Great Wall officially introduced its motorcycle brand Souo and its first models, the touring motorcycles S2000 GL and ST, competitors to the Gold Wing, at the China Beijing International Motorcycle Exhibition. Although technical details were scarce during the launch, the company promises to reveal all the details within a few months, when production is expected to begin.
Great Wall Motor, or GWM, may not be a familiar brand to us, but it is the 19th largest automaker in the world in terms of market capitalization, with a value of 28 billion dollars, putting it on par with Kia and well ahead of companies like Subaru or Nissan. It already has several car brands, including Ora, Haval, Wey, Tank, and Great Wall, which are marketed internationally, and Souo marks its first step into motorcycling.
And it’s not a hesitant step. The company’s logic is that it wants to sit at the top of the table, which means competing with market leaders like Honda. So, why not aim for Honda’s flagship model, the Gold Wing? That’s exactly what the S2000 GL and ST models do; the GL is aimed at the Gold Wing Tour, complete with a top case and passenger backrest, while the ST only has side cases, like the base version of the Gold Wing.
The known specifications of the bikes are, in all cases, a step ahead compared to Honda. While the Gold Wing has a 1,833cc engine, the Souo has a 2,000cc one. Honda uses a seven-speed semi-automatic transmission with dual clutch. Souo has an eight-speed DCT. The Gold Wing has single overhead camshafts, while Souo uses a DOHC layout and, more importantly, Honda has “only” six cylinders and the Chinese rival uses eight.
The current layout of the motorcycle is very similar to that of a Gold Wing. The cast aluminum frame is like the Wing’s design, and up front Souo uses a Hossack-style beam fork, suspended on double arms with a single shock absorber. This is the same solution that has already been adopted by both its main six-cylinder rivals, the Gold Wing and BMW’s K 1600 range. Copy? Perhaps, but would it be classified as such if Souo had used conventional telescopic forks like almost all other motorcycles on the market? The fact is that, for large and heavy motorcycles, there is a logical engineering reason for using the Hossack-style front. It allows for a relatively soft spring for comfort without inducing too much brake damping. It is still unknown whether the suspension is semi-active, but considering the rest of the motorcycle’s equipment, it seems likely.
