8-cylinder boxer engine from China

The model in question is the Souo S 2000. You don’t need much imagination to see that the Honda Gold Wing served as a model for the design. And the S 2000 also has a boxer engine, but one with eight cylinders. That’s two more than on the Honda. The displacement is 2.0-liter, 0.2-liter more than Honda’s 6-cylinder boxer.

Major concern behind Souo S 2000

In every way, the Souo S 2000 is imposing. So much so that one wonders if there is a market for this. Just assume that market research really has been done, because behind the Souo brand is a major automaker. That is Great Wall Motor (GWM) with an annual production of 1.2 million cars. GWM, by the way, has a joint venture agreement with BMW Group to develop the new Mini Aceman.

Chinese market

GWM does not put money into developing a giant motorcycle if there is no demand for it. In China, there is, because Chinese people like big. The long versions of the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class have been selling better than the shorter models in that country for years. So it is to be expected that there will be buyers lining up for perhaps one of the biggest motorcycles today.

Extraterrestrial

The figures of this behemoth are otherworldly. The Souo S 2000 weighs 461 pounds ready to go and the bagger version 450 pounds. The 8-cylinder boxer produces 154 hp (113 kW) at 6,500 rpm. Torque comes to 190 Nm at 4,500 r/min. According to Souo, the 8-cylinder turns just 2,100 r/min at 120 km/h. A wheelbase of 1,810 mm is also hefty.

Souo S 2000 with 8-speed automatic transmission

The cylinder banks each have two overhead camshafts with variable valve actuation. Souo opted for an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, a DCT. That many gears for a block with such creamy torque may seem a bit much. There is a reverse gear, which is no luxury given the weight.

Active damping

Like the Gold Wing, the Souo S 2000 offers shaft drive. The front wheel suspension is a kind of double wishbone construction, with two triangle-shaped movable suspension points. With the CDC (Constant Damping Control), Souo has semi-active damping with automatic spring preload adjustment (load compensation).

Digital dashboard

The dashboard is large and fully digital. Without the ignition on, there is a wide black screen. With the ignition on, you get a wide screen showing all possible information and infotainment. Very striking are the chrome button stores on the steering wheel. The speakers on the left and right in the fairing promise a powerful audio system, clearly Souo is also taking up the gauntlet in this area from challengers like the Honda Gold Wing and the Harley-Davidson FLH top models.

There are no plans for sales outside China. There, the Souo S 2000 costs around 30,000 euros converted.