The motorcycle world had plenty of groundbreaking innovations in the 80’s and early 90’s but that seems to have slowed down since. But let us leave it to the Chinese to do it now. Just last week, rumours were rampant of a GWM 8-cylinder motorcycle engine and the drawings from the company’s patent submissions made rounds on the internet. There was also speculation that the engine will break cover at the Beijing Motor Show, which begins today.

Well, our man Keshy Dhillon is at the show and look what he ran into. The actual prototype of the engine!

This is GWM (Great World Motor) going for the Honda Gold Wing’s jugular. But instead of settling for some established engine formats i.e. Boxer and inline-six (BMW), V-Twin (CFMoto), V-four (Yamaha and Kawasaki), and the flat-six (Gold Wing), GWM ups the ante by going eight (auspicious number for the Chinese, anyway).

The flat-eight is believed to displace approximately 2000cc, higher than the current Gold Wing’s 1833cc. Both engines feature similar architecture, with the transmission tucked underneath to shorten the entire package. There is a huge alternator toward the back, and of course, it is necessary to support all the electrical and electronics the rider and his passenger would lug along. GWM is said to be developing a dual-clutch, semi-auto gearbox similar to Honda’s DCT, too.

There are several standouts here: Check out the quality of the casting on those cases.

Not shown in these pictures are the dual-overhead cams underneath those beautifully polished valve covers, upping the Gold Wing’s SOHC. The patent drawings illustrate the side-mounted radiators, following Honda’s cooling solution.

But that was as much as the GWM 8-cylinder motorcycle engine was shown in the Beijing show. However, there was a footage of GWM’s Chairman showing a Xiaomi SU7 gifted to him, and there in the background was a touring motorcycle peeking out underneath a black cover.

So, let us wait a little further and see the final product.