A 3-day motorcycle road trip from Grenoble : 761 kilometres in a loop into Italy and back, without a single metre of toll road. The Valbonnais and the Parquetout and Noyer passes, the Champsaur and the balcony above Lake Serre-Ponçon before the Vauban citadel of Briançon; the Izoard and the Casse Déserte at first light, the Col Agnel at 2,744 m, the second-highest road pass in France, then the Val Chisone, the Fenestrelle fortress and Sestriere; back into France over the Mont Cenis and the Croix de Fer. Two border crossings, both of them over a pass.
This route was not drawn on a map: we rode it in early August 2026, Xavier Maumon, who runs the Grenoble shop and is an experienced rider, and his brother Luc, an occasional rider who takes the bike out a few weekends a year. Two levels, two rhythms, the same loop — and that is exactly why we decided to publish it. If you ride passes all year round, you will find the Izoard at daybreak and the Italian side of the Col Agnel. If you ride three times a year, you will see that no day exceeds five and a half hours in the saddle, that the legs are short and that the passes can be climbed at your own pace. The distances, times and passing hours on this page were recorded by GPS: they are ours.
Real track, recorded by GPS from 2 to 4 August 2026: 733 kilometres measured on the track and 13 h 46 riding excluding stops and the link roads from the shop, 16,670 metres of climbing. We joined the track at Notre-Dame-de-Mésage and cut off at Gières on the way back: from the La Tronche shop, the full loop comes to 761 km and 14 h 17 riding (21.0 km outbound from La Tronche, 7.1 km on the return). The times shown in the stages are our actual passing times. Base map © IGN · Géoplateforme. Rideable from mid-June to the end of October: the Col Agnel is the last to open (often late June) and several passes are reserved for cyclists on some summer mornings — check the time slots before you go.
Leaving Grenoble, the road heads due south through Vizille and up the Laffrey ramp, then works into the Matheysine and the Valbonnais over the Col de Parquetout (1,382 m), a narrow, deserted mountain road. After the Sautet dam, the Col du Noyer (1,664 m) tips you into the Champsaur, before the Col de Moissière (1,573 m), the balcony above Lake Serre-Ponçon and Embrun. The climb back up the Durance to Briançon takes the right bank, well away from the main road.
The Col d’Izoard (2,361 m) at first light, then the Casse Déserte and its stone chimneys. The Col Agnel follows at 2,744 metres: the second-highest road pass in France behind the Iseran, the third in the Alps behind the Iseran and the Stelvio, and above all the highest border crossing between France and Italy. The descent into the Varaita valley opens Piedmont, before the Val Chisone, the Fenestrelle fortress and Sestriere. Built by the House of Savoy between 1728 and 1850, Fenestrelle is the largest alpine fortification in Europe: 130 hectares, more than three kilometres of walls following 635 metres of height gain, and a covered staircase of almost 4,000 steps linking the valley to the top of the works. You ride alongside it for several kilometres.
The Mont Cenis pass (2,083 m) and its reservoir bring you back into France through the Haute Maurienne. The descent to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne comes before the last climb of the trip, the Col de la Croix de Fer (2,067 m), then the run back to Grenoble via Allemond and Uriage. Two border crossings, both over a pass, and not a metre of toll road.
We rode this route on two bikes from our fleet of location moto à Grenoble : une Suzuki GSX-8S et une Triumph Tiger Sport 660. Three days, 761 kilometres, passes up to 2,744 metres, two borders, rain at Sestriere and heat in the Durance valley. Here is what these two machines have in them on a trip like this, what we liked, what irritated us, and what it changes for you when you choose which one to book.
Bicylindre en ligne de 776 cm³, 83 ch et 78 Nm, 202 kg fully fuelled, an 810 mm seat and a 14-litre tank. On the road, everything happens between 4,000 and 8,000 rpm: full, smooth, and it pulls again in third out of a hairpin without changing down. The chassis is the real strong point, with a precise front end, a quality fork and Nissin radial-caliper brakes that do not flinch after twenty kilometres coming down the Izoard. The up-and-down quickshifter adds real comfort through linked bends.
What it gives once the road starts to turn : the brakes take a full Izoard descent without fading or going hard at the lever, and the front end stays precise even when the surface deteriorates near the top of a pass. The engine does not chase revs: it works on torque, which is restful over a long day and makes the bike easy from the first kilometres. Measured consumption: 4.5 l/100 km riding gently. On paper, 14 litres give 310 kilometres, but you do not ride until the tank runs dry: keeping 80 to 90 kilometres in reserve, the genuinely usable range is 220 kilomètres. Push harder and take off more still.
Good to know before setting off on the : with 14 litres you stop more often than on the Tiger — fill up in the valley before tackling a pass, filling stations thin out above 1,500 metres. For luggage, a soft tail bag was enough for our three days solo. A full A licence is required, and our insurer restricts it to riders aged 25 and over who have held the licence for at least two years : check before booking.
Trois-cylindres de 660 cc in A2 form, 47.5 hp and 59 Nm, 206 kg fully fuelled, an 835 mm seat and a tank of 17,2 litres, with a top box fitted on our example. The triple works on torque, low and in the midrange: you ride on the throttle, never needing to chase revs. That is exactly what a pass road asks for, where you spend your time between 3,000 and 6,000 rpm. And it is the one that tires you least on this route: supple suspension, a wide seat, and a screen that genuinely protects, which changes everything after eight hours in the saddle and two downpours.
Three days later, what stays with us : it is the bike you arrive on in the evening without being wrung out. The screen does its job, including in the Sestriere downpour, and the suspension soaks up the broken surfaces of small valley roads. It has that rare quality: the longer the day, the more you appreciate it. You link the passes on torque, without forcing anything, and you keep enough energy to look at the scenery. Measured consumption: about 4 l/100 km. The 17.2 litres promise 430 kilometres, but with the same 80 to 90 kilometre reserve we count on 340 usable kilometres : that is still a good hundred kilometres more than the Suzuki between fuel stops.
The revelation of this road trip : restricted to A2, this Tiger is nothing like a beginner’s bike you merely put up with. A rider with tens of thousands of kilometres behind him enjoyed it from end to end, solo : it climbs the Izoard without ever complaining, lets itself be walked through an Italian village, then picks up its cruising pace on the main road without ever feeling short of breath. Versatile, in the most literal sense of the word. À deux and loaded, it starts to show its limits, especially with two large riders on board: in that case we recommend the 800.
One detail to know before setting off : au-delà du 45 de pointure, your heel touches the side stand or the pillion peg en roulant when you set your foot on the footrest. At a standstill it causes no problem; it is while riding that the contact surprises you, over the first few kilometres. You get used to it, but it is worth knowing beforehand.
| Critère | Suzuki GSX-8S | Triumph Tiger Sport 660 |
|---|---|---|
| Moteur | 2 cylindres, 776 cm³ | 3 cylindres, 660 cm³ |
| Puissance / couple | 83 ch · 78 Nm | 47.5 hp · 59 Nm (A2 version) |
| Poids tous pleins faits | 202 kg | 206 kg |
| Hauteur de selle | 810 mm | 835 mm |
| Réservoir | 14 l | 17,2 l |
| Consumption we measured | 4,5 l/100 km | ≈ 4 l/100 km |
| Autonomie utilisable80 to 90 km reserve kept | environ 220 km | environ 340 km |
| Bagagerie | sac souple à prévoir | top-case monté |
| Permis | A · age 25 and 2 years’ licence | A ou A2 (bridée 47,5 ch) |
| Terrain de jeu idéal | passes and small winding roads | everything, solo: the most versatile |
En résumé : la GSX-8S for pure pleasure in the hairpins of the Izoard and the Col Agnel, the Tiger Sport 660 to cover the 761 kilometres without thinking about it — protected, with luggage, and even on an A2 licence. Both go everywhere on this route, without exception.
We rode this route ourselves du 2 au 4 août 2026, on two bikes from the fleet: Xavier, who rides all year round, and Luc, who takes the bike out a few weekends a year. The idea had been in our heads for a long time: the Casse Déserte at first light, the Col Agnel with Italy beyond, Mont Cenis to come home. We were glad to do it at last, and in full.
Three days is almost nothing across a year. It is a great deal when you spend them like these: the phone deep in a pocket, the road taking up all the space, and in the evening you go back over the day instead of talking about work. You have to know how to get away — and above all give yourself permission: nobody else will do it for you. These are precious moments, and they cost only three days.
Every distance, duration and passing time on this page comes from our own GPS tracks. If it makes you want to go, we will take care of the bike.
Book my bike for this road trip →Two nights, two hotels that take bikes under cover. That is the number one criterion on a three-day trip: you arrive loaded, you leave early, and you do not want to leave the bike and the luggage outside.
Three Logis chimneys, 4 rue Centrale, +33 4 92 21 10 37. The hotel advertises a garage fermé à clé and a private car park, both chargeable: book the garage at the same time as the room, it goes quickly in summer. The Vauban citadel is within walking distance, so you can leave the bike in the garage as soon as you arrive and walk up to dine in the old town.
This is the real find of the trip. In Susa, theHotel Napoleon (via Mazzini 44, +39 0122 622855) does not merely tolerate motorcycles: the hotel is built around them. You ride the bike à l'intérieur du bâtiment, onto the parquet floor, into a locked garage under video surveillance that the house calls, without irony, a suite for motorcycles. The hall displays the hashtag #motohotelnapoleon painted on the wall, two race bikes are displayed in the lounge, the stairwell is lined with black-and-white racing photographs, and a road bike hangs on the corridor wall for passing cyclists.
On the services side, the hotel provides information on the roads and passes of the area and offers six detailed motorcycle itineraries, plus mountain-bike, gravel and e-bike routes. Breakfast and wifi included, bar, Technogym fitness room, kettle in the room. Accommodation ranges from a classic double room to self-contained apartments. An outdoor public car park and a chargeable car garage complete the motorcycle garage.
For this road trip it is the ideal stop: Susa is thirty kilometres from Mont Cenis, so you start the third day with the climb to the pass on a dry bike with the luggage still strapped on.
Yes. Italy is among the countries allowed by our general rental terms, along with Spain, Switzerland, Germany, the Benelux countries, Portugal, Andorra and Monaco. State your expected mileage when booking and the package adjusts itself; the vehicle’s green insurance card is handed over with the keys.
No. At 2,744 metres it is the second-highest road pass in France behind the Col de l’Iseran (2,770 m) and the third in the Alps, behind the Iseran and the Stelvio (2,757 m). It is, however, the highest road crossing between France and Italy.
Broadly from mid-June to the end of October. The Col Agnel is the latest, often opening in late June; the Izoard and Mont Cenis usually open in late May or early June.
The days are 274, 278 and 209 km, that is 3 h 42 to 5 h 32 of riding depending on the day. It is a sustained but manageable pace, provided you start early — especially on the second day, which links the Izoard and the Col Agnel.
Our Triumphs and BMWs (A2 and A licences) are prepared, insured and maintained. Book online, self-service pick-up 24/7 in Grenoble.
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