The announcement came from Andrew Dyson, GWM’s Chief of Design, at a recent company conference.
The introduction of this unnamed grand-tourer bike marks GWM's ambitious step into a segment dominated by established players like the Honda Gold Wing and BMW K 1600. Dyson revealed that the bike would be larger than the Gold Wing and would feature a boxer eight-cylinder engine likely to surpass 2,000cc.
Dyson previously worked with Volkswagen, Daimler-Chrysler, and Opel. He says he’s ridden the prototype of this eight-cylinder monstrosity and that it was amazing.
Details regarding the tech specifications and features remain scarce. However, based on available information and silhouette images released by GWM, there are expectations for advanced features like adaptive cruise control among other high-tech components.
This move signals Chinese manufacturers' increasing capability in producing technologically advanced vehicles beyond traditional car models. Nonetheless, there are questions about whether an eight-cylinder grand tourer is necessary. The practicality of such powerful engines in motorcycles remains debatable when compared to successful models like the Honda Gold Wing which use smaller engines effectively.
Great Wall Motors (GWM), originally founded in 1984 in Baoding, China, has built its reputation primarily through producing reliable automotive vehicles across various segments. It now aims to translate this expertise into its newly created motorcycle division under Great Wall Souo Motorcycle.
Source: RideApart