Remember Great Wall Motor? It's OK if you don't because it hasn't been around for very long. In motorcycle world, there's even less to go on than there is in the car world. While the company has been making cars for a minute (including intriguing low-cost EVs offered in multiple markets outside the US, like the Ora Cat), it hadn't previously dipped a toe in the motorcycle waters.
That is, until it did.
In 2024, it showed off a crazy eight-cylinder engine that immediately lit the Internet on fire in multiple languages. Not long afterward, we got our first look at the massive touring bike that GWM planned to stuff its new flat eight into: the Great Wall Motor Souo.
Fast-forward half a year to the cold and dreary month of January, and there's news yet again. This time, GWM brought a multidisciplinary presentation to the show floor at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). From showcasing new GWM technology, including a new hybrid vehicle platform intended for cars and trucks, GWM also took time out to display its massive touring motorcycle in the flesh.
Now called the Great Wall Motor Soul S2000, the massive tourer not only has the aforementioned flat eight engine; it also comes with an eight-speed DCT. That's right; it's fully automatic. Also, it has a shaft drive; no chain or belt for this bad boy!
In a way, for a bike that's clearly intended to take on the Honda Gold Wing, that makes total sense. Since the comparison to the Gold Wing will inevitably be made, calling it an S2000 seems like a strange choice. Sure, it's nearly car-sized, but I mean .... the S2000 is probably not the comparison I'd make.
The GWM Soul (or Souo, depending on the market) S2000 officially launched in China in October 2024, and GWM says it's already sold out of its first batch of 288 bikes. So far, there's been no announcement of plans to officially launch this bike in the US, despite its appearance at CES. When and if that changes, we'll be sure to keep you updated. Although, if the harshest tariff threats do actually materialize later this month, it seems kind of unlikely.
The Specs
The GWM Soul S2000 is powered by a liquid-cooled, 1,999cc four-valve, flat eight-cylinder engine that makes a claimed 151.5 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 190 newton-meters (about 140 pound-feet) of torque at 4,500 rpm. Bore and stroke are very nearly square, at 68.0 x 68.8mm. It's fuel injected, and GWM estimates fuel consumption at 5.9 liters per 100 kilometers. This engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic dual-clutch transmission (DCT), and it has a shaft final drive system.
The Soul S2000 has an aluminum frame, with an electronically adjustable suspension as just one of the many tech-laden features that grace this bike. It also has an aluminum single-sided swingarm. Notably, GWM splashed out on Brembo brakes for the Soul S2000, with a pair of four-pot calipers and 320mm discs up front and a single 295mm disc setup in the rear. The wheels are cast aluminum units, with an 18-inch one in front and a 16-inch one in the rear.
The Tech
For the Chinese market, the Soul S2000 is sold in three trim levels, but most of its tech features remain the same across all three. The base model S2000ST doesn't get lane assist, blind spot detection, or rear collision warning, but that's really all that's missing electronically.
In fact, here are all the tech features that GWM touts across all three trim levels (S2000ST, S2000GL, and Founder Edition):
- ABS
- CBS linked brakes
- Cornering ABS
- Tire pressure monitoring system
- Hill start assist
- Traction control
- Ride modes (Travel, Sports, Rain)
- Electronic suspension
- Cruise control
- Electronic handbrake
- Electronically-adjustable windscreen
- USB charging
- Mobile phone remote control capability
- Mobile phone Bluetooth key
- Accessory power mode
- Vehicle positioning sensor
- Geofencing
- On-board navigation
- SOS Rescue Assist
- Keyless start/Smart Key
- Heated grips
- Heated seats
All that, and of course there's Bluetooth connectivity with your phone, as though you even needed to ask in 2025. The S2000GL and Founder Edition get the blind spot detection, lane keeping assist, and other radar assistive tech that everyone was losing their minds over a few years ago on Ducati and BMW machines. To be clear, we don't know what specific system GWM is using; just that it's included on this bike.
Everything Else
The S2000ST comes with panniers, while the S2000GL and Founder Edition also add a top box with a nice backrest for any pillion you want to take with you on your adventures. The S2000ST and GL come in three colors: Lion Red, Meteorite Black, and Swan White. The Founder Edition gets a special gold ink color scheme that's exclusive to that trim level.
We should really talk about the elephant in the room, though, and that's the curb weight of this massive, massive machine. As you'd expect, it varies based on trim level. More panniers and top boxes and things equals heavier bike, right? As such, the S2000ST tips the scales at a claimed 450 kilograms. That's nearly 993 pounds.
Add in that top box, and the other two weigh 461 kg, or a little over 1,016 pounds. Folks, it's nearly a half-ton motorcycle! That said, the seat height is an extremely manageable 740mm (about 29.1 inches). So there's that.
What's all this cost? For the Chinese market, the GWM Souo S2000ST comes with an MSRP of 218,800 yuan, or about US $29,843. Bump up to the S2000GL, and the MSRP is 238,800 yuan (about $32,571). The Founder Edition, meanwhile, will set you back a cool 288,800 yuan (about $39,391). Hey, those Brembo brakes and all that fancy tech don't just buy themselves, do they? At this point, I feel I should point out that the current Gold Wing Tour starts at a US MSRP of $28,700.
Would you be interested in trying a GWM Soul S2000 if you had the chance? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
