Xiang Shuai is a relatively new motorcycle brand from China. Clearly inspired by the chopper and cruiser scene from the U.S., the brand has put in quite an effort—although a cringey one—to adopt the styling and character of American cruisers. This is most evident with its "Brotherhood" range of cruisers that feature outlandish styling and rather lackluster performance.
We've previously talked about the Xiang Shuai Traveler XS 800, a cruiser with at least some semblance of practicality. However, this time around, the Brotherhood department over at Xiang Shuai has thrown any sense of utility out the window with the new Wolverine XS 800. All it takes is once glance to realize that this cruiser has been designed with nothing but looks in mind. After all, Brotherhood's aim is to provide "custom bikes directly from the factory."
The Wolverine XS 800's most defining feature just has to be its stupidly wide rear tire. Measuring in at 360 millimeters, its wider than any production motorbike tire out there, and chances are, you'll be limited to a very narrow selection of brands when time comes to replace it. I don't think major tire manufacturers will even bother to make tires this wide just for this cruiser, either. At present, only Avon and Vee tires offer rubber in this size. For reference, the Wolverine is equipped with tires from a rather obscure Chinese brand called Kingtyre.
Nevertheless, no matter what kind of tire you put on the Wolverine, chances are it'll make for a sluggish ride, and a nightmare to maneuver through tight twisty roads. Not to mention the fact that it's rocking a single-sided swingarm which has likely been reinforced to account for the added weight. The result? A whopping 288 kilogram cruiser.
Sure, 288 kilograms may not seem to heavy for a big cruiser, but it's important to note that the Wolverine XS 800 isn't blessed with a powerful, torquey motor, either. It's rocking an 800cc V-twin engine with just 52 horsepower and 42 lb-ft of torque, so don't expect it to deliver exhilarating acceleration or top speed.
