GWM launches SOUL S2000

The eight-cylinder engine has found an unlikely saviour from a popular Chinese carmaker. But does it pass the test?

The eight-cylinder engine has found an unlikely saviour: China’s GWM and its Soul S2000 motorcycle.

While most car brands have ditched emotive but thirsty V8s, GWM has this week announced a V8 plug-in hybrid engine for its SUVs, while also launching a flat eight-cylinder in its two-wheeled monster.

And we’ve ridden it.

GWM Soul S2000. Picture: Supplied

A rival for the Honda Gold Wing tourer and thumping Harley Davidsons, this Soul with 2.0-litre motor is one of history’s few eight-cylinder motorcycles, and the first ever with a horizontally opposed or “boxer” version.

In a classic “mine’s bigger than yours” flex by GWM, it’s delivered an absolute weapon.

There’s 113kW and 190Nm on tap, about matching a Mazda3’s numbers; a hatchback weighing around three times as much as this two-wheeler.

Even so, the Soul’s no lightweight. It tips the scales at 461kg, so I’m obviously apprehensive about just getting this beast balanced once off its kickstand.

MORE: Surprise reason iconic bike will never change

GWM Soul S2000. Picture: Supplied

My little Honda CB250 back home weighs 120kg, so this is a seriously lardy upgrade for me. Not least because I lack the flowing beard and barrel chest typically expected of riders on giant touring motorcycles.

A flick of the (rather cheap-feeling) plastic central dial turns on the ignition, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen fires up. This digitally displays my vitals and multiple menus, including aids like cruise control, rear parking sensors, lane change assist, blind spot monitor and even rear cross traffic alert.

By contrast, my 1999 Honda cafe racer doesn’t even have a rev counter. Rider aids? Front and rear brakes.

My backside perched on the wide, pleated and heated seat, I fire up the eight.

Good God. What a sound. It’s smooth but with just enough burble and old-school rumble punching through its large twin pipes.

I twist the throttle and let the heavy-drinking cylinders begun their gulping. There’s theatre aplenty, and my journalist peers sampling GWM’s four-cylinder hybrid SUVs across our test ground look over with envy.

MORE: Riding Ducati’s MotoGP-powered Multistrada

GWM Soul S2000. Picture: Supplied

GWM Soul S2000. Picture: Supplied

Stuff your hybrids. This is what a proper damn engine sounds like.

The Soul’s size and weight are confronting, but it’s a breeze to ride.

My vintage Honda is a delicate balancing act of choke, throttle, clutch and trying not to stall while the old carburettor’d twin cylinder warms up.

By contrast, this Chinese Soul does everything for you. It has an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission – something you’re more likely to find in an executive German sedan.

I flick it into Drive, gently twist the throttle (also heated, by the way) and dare to lift both feet onto the pegs. The fear of me dropping it looms large – it’d need an army to get it back upright.

I’ve got something weighing as much as an entire Caterham 7 between my thighs, and I figure if it starts to topple over I’m going to have to ditch and run. Then apologise.

Thankfully, it’s incredibly stable and simple to pilot. I open its lungs and immediately I’m getting all the attention.

GWM Soul S2000. Picture: Supplied

It blasts away sounding like something you’d hear at the Bathurst 1000, bounces off the rev limiter and slickly shifts up through the gears. The torque pull is mega.

It’s quick, too. Not superbike speeds, but hauling over half a tonne (with rider on board) to 100km/h in just five seconds is enough to tickle the senses. I begged to the motorcycle gods for the front wheel not to lift up.

It glides along thanks to electronic variable damping front and rear, and seriously drops anchor with a Brembo big brake kit.

Turning is more of an issue. No Valentino Rossi elbow-down moves here; better to give it plenty of space. But handily, there are toggle levers where the clutch handle would normally be, allowing low-speed electric reversing for easy manoeuvres.

With an empty bit of Chinese car park ahead, I flick into Sport and manual mode and throttle on again. Just wow. It’s a riot of noise and thrills and acceleration. I’d love to lap Australia on one of these.

GWM Soul S2000. Picture: Supplied

But there’s a price problem. The conversion from Chinese yuan is about $50,000, and eight-cylinder or not, that’s hefty for a motorbike. And while there’s a claimed 5.9L/100km, the telltale readout on our bike showed over 10L/100km.

Like a proper eight-cylinder, it enjoys a drink.

But goodies include twin LED headlights, 118L of luggage space in three cases, power adjustable windshield, eight-speaker sound system and smartphone connectivity.

And, most importantly, bragging rights that you’ll be the only one in town sitting directly over a thumping eight-cylinder.

Originally published as GWM launches SOUL S2000