Ducati’s absence from the World Superbike Championship may be temporary as Troy Bayliss is helping the company develop its next racebike

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Bayliss, a three-time WSBK Champion, has confirmed with Italian website Motoblog.it he will be testing the successor to the Ducati 1198 Superbike. The next Ducati superbike is expected to enter the 2012 or 2013 WSBK championship.
“It’s my job to follow the testing phases of the new model,” Bayliss told Motoblog.it. “I can’t reveal anything, but we are working hard to create a competitive bike that can win the championship again.”

Troy Bayliss, shown here with his special edition Ducati 1098R, is helping develop Ducati's next superbike.

Ducati is not entering a factory team for the 2011 WSBK season despite its long winning tradition in the series. A new superbike doesn’t necessarily mean Ducati will bring back a full factory team, Bayliss’ participation suggests Ducati is investing significant resources into the project.