Test booster as Hodgson takes new bike for ride

Neil Hodgson has wasted no time in getting to grips with his new factory Ducati race machine for the 2003 World Superbike series.

Hodgson, who finished this season third in the championship as part of the HM Plant team, steps up to the Italian manufacturer's factory outfit for next season and has undergone a preliminary test at Mugello in Italy just over a week since the end of the last season.

The British rider completed 70 laps on the 999 machine he will race for Ducati in 2003. "The bike feels very different to my 998, with the new aerodynamics and the Michelin tyres," Hodgson said. "The engine is fantastic and the power feels very smooth, better than my old bike."

The Australian Troy Bayliss, who lost his World Superbike title to the American Colin Edwards on the final day of the season, has been trying to put the disappointment behind him by spending time on the V4 bike he will race for Ducati in the rival MotoGP series next season.

Bayliss said: "It's nothing like my superbike. It's much lighter and more powerful. We know we've got a great big job ahead of us but I've enjoyed what we've done so far and we're making pretty good progress already."