Former world champion Troy Bayliss-who will team with Loris Capirossi next season on the new Ducati Grand Prix team-will make his inaugural ride on the Ducati Desmosedici GP machine this week.

Bayliss said yesterday that he has not ridden the GP test bike as yet-but that he has sat on it and pictures exist of him astride the machine in a wind tunnel. "It made it really hard to get back on my Superbike after sitting on the GP1 bike," Bayliss said several times yesterday.

Up to this point, the riding chores of for Ducati's test program have been handled by Vittoriano Guareschi. But now that the World Superbike season is over and the Ducati Desmosedici GP bike is in serious on-track development, Bayliss will take over.

"Ask me in seven days," he said yesterday in response to a question about his riding the GP bike.