China’s Great Wall Motors (GWM) is planning to enter the two-wheeled industry with a bang, planning not one, but two cruiser motorcycles powered by eight-cylinder engines. According to latest reports, the bikes are almost ready and could be showcased as early as later this month at the Beijing Auto Show. Rumours of GWM building a pair of flat-eight machines have been going around for some time now, and one of the bikes is expected to resemble a Honda Gold Wing, with similar engine architecture, but with two extra cylinders. The second model is also expected to be a cruiser, which is expected to somewhat resemble the Honda Rune from the early 2000s.
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The eight-cylinder engine is expected to have a displacement of 2,000 cc.
In latest video footage on social media, GWM chairman Wei Jianjun is seen showing his company’s R&D staff a new Xiaomi S7 electric car that was gifted to him. What is more important is a partially uncovered motorcycle, believed to be an almost finished example of one of the eight-cylinder cruisers the company has been working on. In fact, Jianjun is also reported to have posted a clip of an engine sound on social media, which is believed to be from the eight-cylinder motorcycle engine.
GWM has multiple arms and it’s unclear at this stage, what brand the motorcycles will be launched under. The GWM name is used in the company’s pick-up trucks, and the company uses the Haval and Tank brands for its range of SUVs. The Ora name is used on its electric cars and Wey on its luxury people carriers. The bikes are expected to be launched under a completely new brand name.
The flat-eight engine uses a pair of side-mounted radiators, just like the Gold Wing's engine.
In fact, GWM has also filed several patent applications for elements of its bikes. The patent images show the flat-eight engine, with a design that seems to have been inspired by the flat-six engine of the Honda Gold Wing. The engine displacement is reported to be around 2,000 cc, which is bigger than the flat-six 1,833 cc of the current Gold Wing. The layout of the engine, with the transmission mounted underneath the engine, is more or less the same. Just like the Honda Gold Wing, GWM also intends to use a dual-clutch semi-automatic gearbox in the bike with a shaft final drive. But unlike the Gold Wing’s SOHC valvetrain, the flat-eight uses double overhead cams for each cylinder bank.
Also Read: Great Wall Motor Shuts India Operations
GWM is one of China’s leading automotive manufacturers, and the company made a huge splash in India as well, in the 2020 Auto Expo showcasing a range of GWM products and announcing an investment of around Rs. 7,000 crore. But the COVID-19 pandemic hit soon after, delaying the company’s India plans. Within two years, GWM shut down India operations and let go of Indian employees who had been hired at various levels and departments.
