A cruiser equipped with the only horizontally opposed 8-cylinder motorcycle on the market has been announced by the new Chinese brand "SOUO".
What's more, the engine displacement is a massive 2000cc, surpassing even his 1833cc horizontally opposed 6-cylinder Honda Gold Wing. Will you take on the Gold Wing, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025?
Let me explain with photos taken by local staff.
Photo: Webike China/SOUO
- The world's only flat 8 mounted on an aluminum frame and equipped with DCT!
- The motif is a lion, and the world's first 3-stage W-wishbone is also adopted.
- Luxurious electric brains, including the largest LCD meter and detection system on a motorcycle
- Is it coming in 2025? Head-to-head with rivals Honda and Goldwing?
The world's only flat 8 mounted on an aluminum frame and equipped with DCT!
Great Wall Motor, a well-known Chinese automobile manufacturer, is the largest manufacturer in China, excluding state-owned manufacturers, and the 19th largest worldwide. The company announced its entry into the motorcycle market with the launch of its new brand SOUO at the 2024 Beijing International Motorcycle Exhibition, held May 17-20, 2024.
The brand name "SOUO" means "Search Own, Unlimited Outlook," and the company seems to be aware of the English word "soul. The first model is the MC01, a luxury cruiser equipped with the world's only 2000 cc horizontally opposed 8-cylinder engine for production motorcycles.
The engine was developed in-house, as is the case with four-wheeled vehicles, and a DCT (dual clutch transmission) with eight speeds plus one backward gear is used.
There are also numerous eye-catching features such as three-layer stepped front forks and a rearward detection system.
SOUO's MC-01. It is a grand tourer with a 2000cc horizontally opposed 8-cylinder and an 8-speed DCT.
Detailed specifications are undisclosed.
It features a rounded form. The inverted slanted upper cowl is equipped with an electric screen. The aluminum frame is twin-tube, similar to that of the Gold Wing. The trunk has a large capacity of up to 118 liters.
SOUO booth at the 2024 Beijing International Motorcycle Exhibition. The bike appears to be available with or without a top case and in three body colors: black, red, and white.
The motif is a lion, and the world's first 3-stage W-wishbone is also adopted.
Let's look at further details. The H8, a DOHC horizontally opposed 8-cylinder 2000cc engine, is described in the release as "powerful, with a shocking roar that sounds like a lion's roar every time it takes off. The design motif is based on the Chinese lion dance, and the engine also seems to have the lion (lion) in mind.
The meter shows the red zone at 6000 rpm and beyond, and the speedometer shows up to 240 km/h. The engine is seen to have both thick low- and mid-range torque and comfortable high-speed cruising.
It has a 2000cc horizontally opposed 8-cylinder developed in-house. The DCT can switch between automatic and button shifting and does not have a clutch lever.
The design source is the Chinese lion dance. The image is based on the posture of a lion, poised low, before leaping out, with an awareness of the Orient.
The LED headlights resemble the eyes of a lion. The headlights are designed to resemble the eyes of a lion, giving the vehicle a glaring look. The overhanging side cowls are curved and somewhat retro. It contrasts with the sharp gold wings.
It was possible to straddle the ground at the site. With the up handle pulled forward, the upper body is upright and in a relaxed riding position. The seat height has not yet been announced, but it looks like it would be easy to get a good foot grounding.
The vehicle has an aluminum frame and a double wishbone girder fork with a single shock absorber. This so-called hosack-style front suspension mechanism allows for both nimble handling and ride comfort.
This mechanism is similar to that of its horizontally opposed six-cylinder rivals, the Gold Wing and K1600 series (BMW). Details are unknown, but SOUO says it will be the world's first three-stage system, combined with a multi-stage adjustable electronically controlled suspension.
The suspension is a double-wishbone front suspension with a Brembo radial-mount 4-pod, semi-active suspension. The Gold Wing is electrically adjustable in the rear, but not semi-active.
Luxurious electric brains, including the largest LCD meter and detection system on a motorcycle
It is also very well equipped with electronic controls and comfort equipment. The meter is 12.3 inches, the largest on a motorcycle, and features a touch panel. The K1600 series and R1250RT are well-known for their large 10.25-inch LCDs, but SOUO's meter is even larger.
In addition to Bluetooth connectivity, heated grips, and seats, an electronic parking brake, and automatic headlights are standard. As mentioned above, it also has an electric screen, cruise control, and electric suspension.
The system also includes a rearward warning system that monitors surrounding traffic in real-time and a blind spot monitoring function to alert the rider. The system can also be remotely upgraded with an onboard chip.
The world's largest 12.3-inch LCD meter on a motorcycle. It is a touch panel type, and the tacho and speedometer are displayed in analog form.
A directional switch is located on the left-hand side and a cruise control button is on the right-hand side.
Detects surroundings behind and in blind spots using a unique radar mechanism. This system promotes safety for the rider. The tail area also has a rounded design.
Is it coming in 2025? Head-to-head with rivals Honda and Goldwing?
Looking at the packaging of the MC01, it is clear that it has Gold Wing in mind.
The current Gold Wing, Honda's flagship cruiser, is the sixth generation since the first GL1000 in 1975 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025. Expectations are high for a special edition to commemorate this event, which may coincide with the debut of the SOUO.
In addition, Honda's Chinese subsidiary has just spun off its motorcycle division from Honda Motor (China) Investment Co. to establish Honda Motorcycle Shanghai at the end of 2023 to strengthen its large motorcycle sales business there. The inauguration of SOUO seems to be a move in response to this.
The timing and price of the SOUO MC01 have not yet been announced, but the company has announced that it will reveal more details a few months before production begins. We will wait in anticipation to see how the flat-8 luxury cruiser will turn out and how it will go head-to-head with Gold Wing.
Goldwing Tour DCT (Honda 22107 USD approx.). The base of the current model debuted in the 2018 model year.
The version without top case has been discontinued and only the DCT version will be sold.
Liquid-cooled 4-stroke horizontally opposed 6-cylinder SOHC 4-valve 1833cc 126PS/5500rpm 17.3/4500rpm Weight 390kg
