Bayliss has now taken 41 WSBK victories, placing him second on the all-time win list, although some 18 behind factory Ducati predecessor Carl Fogarty. Bayliss has previously expressed a desire to beat the Briton's records, but a tumultuous 2007 means that Troy would surely need to race on into 2009 to stand a chance of toppling 'King Carl'.

A minimum of two more years would definitely be needed for Bayliss to try and match Foggy's four world titles, but Bayliss - a former spray painter who didn't get a full time WSBK ride until Fogarty was injured in 2000 - has only competed in 124 races, compared with Foggy's 219.

"I wish I'd had a chance in world supers earlier, but there were no seats available," he reflected.

Bayliss may have been made to wait for his big chance, but fellow Australian Casey Stoner has set the MotoGP world alight by winning his first title at the age of just 22.

"When Ducati was looking to sign Casey, I told them to grab him and that no one is gonna open the gas like Casey does," revealed Troy. "At this time, he's as fast as anyone in the world. He came to Ducati at the right time, too."

While Stoner has a long two-wheeled career ahead of him, Bayliss admits he's now starting to think about a different kind of racing.

"I've got a thing for touring cars," said Bayliss. "I don't know if I can get something happening in touring cars, but I'd like to..."