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Eight-cylinder tourer from China takes aim at the Honda Gold Wing

May 21, 2024

As the 19th-largest automaker in the world, China’s Great Wall Motors is worth $28 billion. It currently owns five car manufacturers — and it’s only getting bigger. At this year’s Beijing International Motorcycle Exhibition, the company introduced its first motorcycle marque, Souo, along with the brand’s initial offering, the S2000 GL, an audacious grand-tourer powered by an eight-cylinder engine.

Anything you can do…

There’s no denying the S2000’s resemblance to Honda’s Gold Wing. From its styling to its stance, the Chinese-made tourer borrows heavily from Big Red’s 50-year-old GL series. If you need any convincing, don’t overlook the Hossack-style front end. The Gold Wing moved to that double-wishbone setup in 2018. A move replicated by Souo with the S2000. The Chinese OEM isn’t content with imitation, though.

The Gold Wing’s Hossack-style, double-wishbone suspension allows the front wheel to travel through its stroke without colliding with the 1,833 cc six-cylinder engine. Honda photo.

The S2000 will reportedly boast a 2,000 cc flat-eight powerplant mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). That’s a step up from the 1,833 cc flat-six and seven-speed DCT powering the current Gold Wing. (Well, on paper, it is.) Souo’s one-upmanship isn’t limited to the spec sheet, either.

The S2000 utilizes a dual-overhead-cam layout while the Gold Wing's flat-six engine touts Honda's Unicam configuration. Souo hasn’t published the mill's power figures but many anticipate the flat-eight to match or exceed the Gold Wing’s claimed 125 horsepower and 130 foot-pounds of torque. Great Wall Motors photo.

While Honda strove to downsize the latest-gen Gold Wing’s bodywork, Souo modeled the S2000 after traditional Chinese lion dance costumes. The inspiration is most evident in the two round LED headlights and the broad leg fairings/radiator shrouds.

In addition to the Gold Wing comparisons, I’m picking up a dash of the Yamaha Star Venture and Eluder series in the S2000’s front fairing. Great Wall Motors photo.

Behind the front fairing, accommodations include a 12.3-inch TFT display backed by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon SA8155P processor. Bluetooth connectivity, heated grips and seats, and over-the-air (OTA) updates also sweeten the tech suite. Additional convenience comes in the form of an electronically controlled reverse gear, parking brake, and automatic headlights.

The S2000’s cockpit, switchgear, and user interface reflect those found on both American- and Japanese-made grand tourers. Great Wall Motors photo.

Though Souo has yet to reveal the model’s full specs, reports indicate that the S2000 GL will arrive with a wheelbase nearing 71.3 inches and a 29.1-inch seat height. The latter aligns with the Gold Wing’s saddle, which sits at 29.3 inches, but the former is considerably longer than Honda’s 66.9-inch wheelbase. (That's possibly a byproduct of the S2000’s two extra cylinders.) In GL form, the model is expected to offer 118 liters of storage capacity. That’s slightly less than the Gold Wing Tour’s 121 liters.

Radially mounted four-pot Brembo calipers speak to the S2000’s premium ambitions, but its CST tires lean toward the budget end of the spectrum. Great Wall Motors photo.

Coming to America?

Souo also kept the S2000’s potential release date and pricing under wraps. The brand hasn’t even hinted at the markets the model will serve. Currently, GWM’s North American presence is limited to Mexico. However, the S2000 platform seems like a natural fit for the wide-open highways that characterize the United States.

Souo only provided images of the S2000 GL variant, but the brand also intends to release an ST trim (sans top box). Great Wall Motors photo.

Up to this point, Chinese-owned motorcycle manufacturers have catered to the entry-level and middleweight categories. The CFMOTO 450SS, Benelli TRK 702X, and the Moto Morini X-CAPE immediately come to mind. Should Souo send the S2000 to the States, it will mark yet another milestone for Chinese OEMs and a new competitor for the class-defining Gold Wing.