GWM Souo Flat-eight Cruiser

[Hugh Janus]

Souo’s flat-eight powered cruiser is very reminiscent of Honda’s Rune. (Souo/)

We already know that the new S2000GL and S2000ST tourers from the new Great Wall Motors Souo brand are just the first halo models from a company that’s serious about having a global presence on the motorcycle market. They’ll be followed by a cruiser based on the same insane engine, but a new patent shows it won’t be a direct carryover.

Early prototypes of Souo’s cruiser model, sporting the same 2-liter flat-eight engine as the recently announced S2000GL and S2000ST, have already been spotted undergoing tests. Photos circulating Chinese social media show a bike that’s clearly inspired by Honda’s F6C and Rune, just as the S2000ST is intended to rival the Gold Wing and the S2000GL goes up against the Gold Wing Tour.

Honda’s F6C touring cruiser. (Honda/)

The styling of the cruiser sits halfway between the Rune and the late, 2014-to-2016 F6C, with a front section reminiscent of the Rune—the headlight, fuel tank, and radiator shrouds are similar to the older Honda—while the rear end has a cutoff fender that’s closer to the shape of the F6C. The exhausts, meanwhile, are copies of the Rune’s distinctive design, expanding toward the rear and ending in an oversized, slash-cut exit on each side. Unlike the touring models, which use a Hossack-style fork suspended on double wishbones and a front monoshock, the cruiser has conventional telescopic front suspension.

Honda’s Rune was based on the Gold Wing’s flat-six engine. (Honda/)

The S2000 models aim to outgun their Honda inspiration mechanically, adding two cylinders, two more camshafts, and a couple of hundred cubic centimeters to the formula to create the world’s first flat-eight motorcycle engine, driving through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that’s one-up on Honda’s seven-speed version. The cruiser follows the same pattern but with a version of the motor that’s specifically reengineered for its new home. New patent applications from Great Wall Souo show that the company is concerned that an engine designed specifically to be smooth and unobtrusive in a touring bike will lack the character and sound that cruiser customers crave. They also set out how Souo intends to solve that problem.

Souo’s patent describes the problem, saying: “A powertrain often needs to be used on different models. For example, a horizontally opposed eight-cylinder engine needs to be installed in a cruiser. However, the idle exhaust sound of this multi-cylinder engine is smooth and low, which cannot satisfy the requirements of the cruiser. The demand for personalized sound waves reduces the application models and usage scenarios of multi-cylinder engines.”

Souo’s patent shows how cylinder deactivation will change the sound of the engine at idle for a more cruiserlike sound. (Souo/)

The answer is something that’s already used elsewhere: cylinder deactivation. Companies including Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Ducati have all offered bikes that cut the fuel and spark to at least one cylinder under certain conditions—normally at idle or low speed—but they do it to reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and engine temperatures. Souo plans to use the same idea, but purely in pursuit of character.

The patent goes on to explain that two cylinders of the eight-cylinder engine will be deactivated when the engine is idling, but only under the correct conditions. The engine needs to be up to operating temperature, the catalytic converter needs to be below another predetermined temperature, and when all the conditions are right, the two cylinders are cut out. That results in an engine with an off-beat idle sound that’s intended to be more appealing and distinctive than when all eight cylinders are firing as normal.

Is it necessary? Absolutely not. But nor is the excess of a 2,000cc flat-eight motorcycle in the first place. What’s intriguing is the length that Souo is going to in its effort to establish itself in the motorcycle market. We’ve seen plenty of other Chinese bike brands emerge through the usual route—via scooters and small-capacity singles, before expanding to larger, multicylinder machines and international markets—but Souo’s intention to arrive at the very top of the tree without making that gradual climb is completely new. As it’s part of a major automotive manufacturer, Great Wall Motors, which already oversees multiple brands and even has a joint venture with BMW—Spotlight Automotive—that manufactures the Mini Electric in China, Souo already has both a financial and technological head start compared to most new motorcycle brands. Can that be converted into real-world success? It’s going to be interesting to find out.

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