Rumors abound in this industry and when you hear something about a flat eight engine motorcycle coming to the market, you want to do your due diligence. Building on its home turf, making trucks (and an adorable city car called cool cat), Engine of the Great Wall of China is set to bring a line of motorcycles to market under the name Souo Motorcycles, and a provocative announcement and patent documents show a future filled with eight-cylinder motorcycles.
Unearthed by Cycle World, the patent application shows the creation of a flat cylinder engine with a four-in-one cylinder head design originating from each cylinder head. Due to its transparent size, the flat engine will likely grow above 1,500 cc, potentially up to 2.5 liters. A closer look at the patent filings shows dual overhead cams for each cylinder bank, as well as a pair of radiators, one for each side. A shaft drive and a semi-automatic dual-clutch transmission will also likely join the flat-8 engine, according to Cycle World.
Great Wall Motors will launch a next-generation motorcycle with a flat-eight engine.
Chinese automakers like to diversify, with phones, flying cars and everything else. Great Wall Motors (GWM) is heading in another direction: a line of high-end motorcycles under the name Souo (灵魂). Then… pic.twitter.com/tnJ3SmeJUR
– Tycho de Feijter (@TychodeFeijter) May 7, 2024
A less internal view the new flat-eight engine was available at the 2024 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition with the relatively compact engine appearing with black valve covers and a Souo Motorcycle logo on the back. Great Wall Souo Motorcycles will be an innovative brand for Great Wall, serving as a complement to its wide-ranging vehicular explorations that include Haval and Wey.
The engine will likely be fitted to a Honda Goldwing challenger of sorts, with glimpses of the touring bike appearing in X. Spy photos of the Souo cruiser during an alleged photo shoot show very similar bodywork and ergonomics to those found on Honda’s Goldwing, not to mention the shared use of a flat-engine configuration. Additionally, the super cruiser appears to have a Hossack-style front suspension system, just like the Goldwing and BMW K1600 GT.
More details about the Souo Motorcycles brand and the eight-cylinder super cruiser will arrive at the start of the Beijing Motorcycle Show, tomorrow, May 17th. Either way, the resurgence of eight-cylinder motorcycles will be a long time coming, with V-8 motorcycles from Moto Guzzi, Indian and Curtiss dating back to the early and mid 20th century.
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