{"id":30063,"date":"2026-01-04T00:01:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T08:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/?p=30063"},"modified":"2025-12-30T12:07:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T20:07:01","slug":"quantos-pistones-the-eights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2026\/01\/04\/quantos-pistones-the-eights\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfQuantos Pistones? (The Eights)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6>By Joe Berk<\/h6>\n<p>Eight-cylinder motorcycles are rare.\u00a0 The first was the 1907 Curtiss V8, another early one was the 1950s Moto Guzzi V8 racing bike, there&#8217;s the the Chevy V8-powered motorcycles made by Boss Hoss, and the Morbidelli V8.\u00a0 Most recently, there&#8217;s the new Chinese Great Wall Souo S2000 GL (it has a 2000cc flat-eight engine).<\/p>\n<p>The Curtiss V8 motorcycle was the first eight-cylinder motorcycle.\u00a0 It dates to 1907.\u00a0 If you want to see an original Curtiss V8, get yourself a ticket to the Smithsonian.\u00a0 If you want to see a reproduction of one of the Curtiss V8s, look no further than Jay Leno&#8217;s collection:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"The Fastest Man on Earth: 1907 Curtiss V8 Motorcycle | Jay Leno's Garage\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jak3oEGahnE\" width=\"957\" height=\"538\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Moto Guzzi V8 was built for the 1955-57 racing season; it was never a street motorcycle.\u00a0 I didn&#8217;t know too much about that bike (other than that a drawing of it adorned the cover of Melissa Pearson&#8217;s outstanding motorcycle book, The Perfect Vehicle : What It Is About Motorcycles).\u00a0 I found a YouTube video that tells us a bit about the Guzzi V8:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"1955 Moto Guzzi V8 \u2013 The Wildest Racing Motorcycle Ever Built\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kmnlm0IyZTQ\" width=\"875\" height=\"492\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>My first exposure to an 8-cylinder motorcycle was the Boss Hoss.\u00a0 I saw these bikes at one of the Laughlin River Runs back in the 1990s.\u00a0 The Boss Hoss company had two or three of these bikes on display in the parking lot outside one of the casinos.\u00a0 I sat on one at lifted it off the sidestand.\u00a0 That was enough for me.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll bet that bike weighed a thousand pounds.\u00a0 It was an absurd approach to motorcycling, and my 10 or 15 seconds of stationary seat time convinced I could easily live without one.\u00a0 Somewhere I have a photo my friend Dick Scott took of me on the thing, but I didn&#8217;t think enough of the bike to bother looking for it for inclusion in this blog.\u00a0 \u00a0These bikes go for around $70K (maybe less if you can find one used).\u00a0 Boss Hoss offers these in both a small block Chevy version, and a big block\u00a0 Chevy model. Save your money, folks.\u00a0 But if you want to see more, here&#8217;s a video on these ridiculous machines:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Boss Hoss V8 Motorcycle 600hp Test Ride and Specs\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YmZ3xtZ3VJE\" width=\"678\" height=\"391\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The short-lived Morbidelli V8 motorcycle was offered in the mid-1990s.\u00a0 Even though I&#8217;d see some of the world&#8217;s most exotic sports bikes here in southern California (especially on the Angeles Crest Highway), I&#8217;ve never seen one of these bikes in person.\u00a0 To me, the name is of-putting enough, and it was billed as the world&#8217;s most expensive motorcycles.\u00a0 Thanks, but I&#8217;ll take a pass.\u00a0 I found a YouTube video on the Morbidelli.\u00a0 Check this out:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"The Iconic Morbidelli V8: World's Most Expensive Motorcycle with a V8 Engine &amp; Unique Design\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/h7rlwTpmuxM\" width=\"875\" height=\"492\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>And finally, there&#8217;s the the Chinese Great Wall SOUO S2000 flat eight, a bike that takes the boxer engine concept to octopusian extremes.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve never seen one of these, either, but in keeping with my approach to his blog, here&#8217;s yet another video:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"2000\u0441\u0441\/8-\u0421ylinder\/Engine Sound\/Great Wall SOUO S 2000 Luxury Tourer\/New Chinese Motorcycle 2024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Cxm_spF9-pk\" width=\"875\" height=\"492\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>My take on all of the above?\u00a0 Too much of a good thing is just that: Too much.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll never own an 8-cylinder motorcycle, and that&#8217;s okay by me.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Missed our other \u00bfQuantos Pistones? stories?\u00a0 Here they are:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/12\/03\/quantos-pistones-the-sevens\/\">\u00bfQuantos Pistones? (The Sevens)<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/11\/01\/quantos-pistones-the-sixes\/\">\u00bfQuantos Pistones? (The Sixes)<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/10\/25\/quantos-pistones-the-fives\/\">\u00bfQuantos Pistones? (The Fives)<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/quantos-pistones-the-fours\/\">\u00bfQuantos Pistones? (The Fours)<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/09\/06\/quantos-pistones-the-triples\/\">\u00bfQuantos Pistones? (The Triples)<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/30\/quantos-pistones-the-twins\/\">\u00bfQuantos Pistones? (The Twins)<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/02\/quantos-pistones\/\">\u00bfQuantos Pistones? (The Singles)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>You might be wondering:\u00a0 Are there any left?\u00a0 <strong>Yep, there&#8217;s one more:\u00a0 The Tens.\u00a0<\/strong> Stay tuned.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Join our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/528366535451405\">Facebook ExNotes page<\/a>!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Never miss an ExNotes blog:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Help us keep the lights on:<\/span><\/h3>\n<style>\r\n        .wpedon-container .wpedon-select,\r\n        .wpedon-container .wpedon-input {\r\n            width: 171px;\r\n            min-width: 171px;\r\n            max-width: 171px;\r\n        }\r\n    <\/style><div class='wpedon-container wpedon-align-center'><form target='_blank' action='https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/cgi-bin\/webscr' method='post' class='wpedon-form'><input type='hidden' name='cmd' value='_donations' \/><input type='hidden' name='business' value='ExNotes@ExhaustNotes.us' \/><input type='hidden' name='currency_code' value='USD' \/><input type='hidden' name='notify_url' value='https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-admin\/admin-post.php?action=add_wpedon_button_ipn'><input type='hidden' name='lc' value='en_US'><input type='hidden' name='bn' value='WPPlugin_SP'><input type='hidden' name='return' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='cancel_return' value='' \/><input class='wpedon_paypalbuttonimage' type='image' src='https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_US\/i\/btn\/btn_donateCC_LG.gif' border='0' name='submit' alt='Make your payments with PayPal. It is free, secure, effective.' style='border: none;'><img alt='' border='0' style='border:none;display:none;' src='https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_US\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif' width='1' height='1'><input type='hidden' name='amount' id='amount_351bc427dab584c7080df12bfa998982' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='price' id='price_351bc427dab584c7080df12bfa998982' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='item_number' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='item_name' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='name' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='custom' value='23447'><input type='hidden' name='no_shipping' value='1'><input type='hidden' name='no_note' value='0'><input type='hidden' name='currency_code' value='USD'><\/form><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Don&#8217;t forget: Visit our advertisers!<\/span><\/h3>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishmotorcyclegear.com\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-23940 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/BritishMotorcycleGear400-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 85vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Joe Berk Eight-cylinder motorcycles are rare.\u00a0 The first was the 1907 Curtiss V8, another early one was the 1950s Moto Guzzi V8 racing bike, there&#8217;s the the Chevy V8-powered motorcycles made by Boss Hoss, and the Morbidelli V8.\u00a0 Most recently, there&#8217;s the new Chinese Great Wall Souo S2000 GL (it has a 2000cc flat-eight &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2026\/01\/04\/quantos-pistones-the-eights\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;\u00bfQuantos Pistones? (The Eights)&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30967,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[392],"tags":[4809,4810,4812,4811,311],"class_list":["post-30063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-back-in-the-day","tag-boss-hoss","tag-curtiss","tag-melissa-pierson","tag-morbidelli","tag-moto-guzzi"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MFHenderson1-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30063"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31807,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30063\/revisions\/31807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}