Remember the massive touring bike that we talked about a couple of years back, built by Great Wall Motors? The massive GWM Souo S2000 appeared as a novelty when we first saw it in 2024, but surely it would never come to North America, right?
Uh, it just might be. According to The Autopian, the company intends to bring its huge, Gold Wing-dwarfing tourer to the US in coming months. They picked up this hot tip at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, where Great Wall Motors had a booth, even though they don’t currently sell any cars (their main line of business) or motorcycles in the US. The company’s reps told The Autopian that yes, their massive tourer was coming to the US market, although we see no timeline.
The big news here is that massive eight-cylinder engine, but the bike is a collection all the latest technology in travel machines. No mention of adaptive cruise control in the PR, but that’s about the only feature missing at this point, and GWM could easily include it if they wanted to license the tech. Photo: GWM
What’s the bike like?
The main feature of the GWM Souo S2000 is a massive eight-cylinder engine in horizontally-opposed configuration; think of a Gold Wing, but with two extra cylinders. We wrote a bit about this bike when it appeared in 2024, and we’ve learned a bit more since then.
The GWM Souo S2000 is supposed to have 2000cc capacity, with eight-speed DCT gearbox for auto-shifting capability. The cylinders are supposed to have four valves apiece with DOHC top end, and of course it’s liquid-cooled. It’s estimated to make 152 horsepower and top speed is around 130 mph, supposedly.
That sounds zippy, but the bike weighs around 900-1000 pounds, depending who you ask. Don’t expect this machine to handle as lithely as the Honda Gold Wing, which actually went on a weight reduction program for its last update.
A dash straight from the USS Enterprise. Photo: GWM Souo S2000
Braking comes from radial-mount Brembo calipers. The frame is cast aluminum, with Hossack-style front fork (with double girders and a single shock) and alloy wheels. Heated seat and grips come standard, along with adjustable windshield and a high-end sound system with eight speakers. A 12.3-inch touchscreen with voice control and over-the-air updates helps you keep all the electro-trickery under control.
The version pictured here is a fully-dressed tourer with massive luggage and fairings, but GWM is supposed to be making a naked version of this bike, sort of like Honda’s old Valkyrie models.
Obviously, this is a long way from the el cheapo Lifans and Qlinks that China entered the North American market with, and with GWM’s experience in the automotive world, they certainly have the manufacturing and engineering prowess to get this bike right, if they want to. And, America is probably the place that’s most likely to buy a Gold Wing rival in serious numbers. The question is, is that true if the bike is Chinese, and still relatively expensive?
