Our itinerary covers around 700 kilometres over two days. That’s a substantial distance, especially considering that the entire route follows winding mountain roads. It’s an ambitious challenge even for a traditional touring motorcycle. But that’s precisely the point: Kymco wants to demonstrate its confidence in the touring capabilities of its scooter.

No entry level scooter

Using a Tripy for navigation is a new experience for me. You can think of it as a digital roadbook, guiding you through symbols and countdown distances to indicate which direction to take. It takes a little getting used to, but ultimately it’s an enjoyable and intuitive way to follow a route. If you take a wrong turn, you have to wait a moment for the Tripy to point you in the right direction again, but otherwise it works perfectly well. There’s no temperature gauge on the display, but the traditional information boards outside pharmacies are showing figures above thirty degrees. In other words, it’s hot, sweaty work.

Fortunately, the mountains aren’t far away, and we soon begin our first climb towards cooler air. The Col des Aravis is the first mountain pass on the itinerary, and a classic in its own right. It serves up a quintessential Alpine landscape, with green meadows dotted with wildflowers, grazing cows and the majestic Mont Blanc in the background. The tone is set from the very beginning.

The roads are pleasantly busy, and our scooters make us something of a rarity among the motorcycles. Nevertheless, we’re greeted with friendly waves from fellow riders throughout the day. The AK 550 Premium is no basic scooter. It commands a certain amount of respect and has plenty of power to back it up. With 50 horsepower on tap, we have no trouble keeping up with the rest of the group. The steepest sections towards the summit do expose the limitations of its automatic CVT transmission, which can run out of steam rather quickly, but you rarely find yourself wishing for more power. On the way back down, however, I do miss having some engine braking to take the strain off the disc brakes.

Spectacular panoramas

The AK 550 Premium really impresses with its handling and the ease with which it tackles Alpine bends. We weave our way towards the next mountain pass with playful ease. It also marks our first border crossing, as we leave France behind and enter Italy via the Little St Bernard Pass.

Built in the nineteenth century under Napoleon III, the pass was once an important route before the Mont Blanc Tunnel opened. Today, its role is largely recreational. At an altitude of 2,188 metres, it still offers plenty of spectacular scenery, with patches of snow scattered across the fresh green meadows.

We descend into the famous Aosta Valley, heading towards the city of the same name. There, we turn left and make our way back towards the high mountains. The frequent photo stops make the hours fly by, and before we know it, the sunlight has softened into a warm evening glow. On a steep slope beside the road, a herd of goats grazes in the late afternoon sunshine. Far below, a river carries icy blue meltwater down the valley. It’s a picture postcard scene.

The entire climb towards the summit is a succession of breathtaking panoramas like this one. These are the longest days of the year, and the abundance of evening light sends the photographer in me into overdrive. The local wildlife seems equally appreciative of the gentle glow. We spot chamois and marmots, happily getting on with their evening meal.

At the Great St Bernard Pass, where we cross into Switzerland, we pass a lake covered in patches of ice. Civilisation feels a very long way away. The crowds that usually gather here during the day have disappeared by this late hour, leaving the mountains to us. Here’s a tip for anyone with a little extra time: book a hotel at the foot of the mountain, enjoy an early dinner and then ride back up in the evening. The light in the Alps is phenomenal, and at that hour, you won’t have to share it with anyone.