My ride around the Western Alps was 400 kms long and I covered the distance is just 7 hours including stops for rest, coffee and a meal. This was possible only because I chose to ride the expressways instead of taking the old winding road. The expressway significantly reduces the travel time as it bypasses all villages and uses long tunnels to pass through mountains instead of climbing up and down their sides.
This GoPro pic picture pretty much sums it up. The old road winds around the side of the mountain, while the new expressway drives straight through it. While riding through the tunnel I could see the old road criss crossing above me on my GPS.
My initial plan was to use the expressway to ride to France and Switzerland and then return using the old winding road. But then I figured that I would not be able to make it back to Turin to return the motorcycle on time and didn't want to be charged for an extra day.