Ok, so i tested this yesterday at my local game shop, and i dug into their gaming seat for a while to check this game out. I have to say that after the initial hurdle of getting into the steering etc its actually really nice driving!
Here are the issues i noticed though, and i think they would be rather easy to fix.
Sounds: On the sportsbikes the Honda CBR definitely sounded best. The others sounded pretty bad. On the superbikes almost all sounded bad, but Kawasaki, and that special blue crazy acceleration bike sounded alright (cant remember its name, MMX something i think), but that Norton bike sounded absolutely awful. Like it was a bug or something wrong with the sound. Another thing was that you only sometimes heard the gear changing "klink" (foot shifting pedal). It gives much more immersion hearing those things. Yes even if you dont hear it so much in real life. In games it heightens the experience. IMO anyway. There is also no reverb etc when going into areas with trees or houses all around you. Was a bit unexpected.
Gamepad: What i had time to notice at least was that the max throttle was when the button was pressed in 100% which makes it a bit annoying to hold the button so hard to be sure you are driving max speed. The speed comes on super little the first half of the button being pressed in and then almost everything comes at the very end. I think it should be more evenly distributed and 100% gas should be before the button being absolutely 100% pressed. Not much before, but little.
Leaning forward/back: This was a bit disappointing. That when in cockpit view (what else?) you wont lean closer/down to the windscreen/tank when leaning forward, and you wont move backwards visually (up away from the windscreen/tank) when leaning backwards. So you cant see if you are leaning forward to get away from doing a wheelie when giving it gas. You know that you are leaning forward only because you hold the stick forward. In MotoGP 08 i think i remember you would lean in cockpit view when you moved stick forward, and its the last bike game i really enjoyed (new MotoGP 18 is coming soon, but i didnt even like the ones after 08).
Bug: Noticed the red ghost bike bugged out and there was no bike under the rider.
No biggie. Didnt play more to find any other bug, but i played for like an hour and a half.
These things aside, it IS worth it if you enjoy bike games. The speed feeling was great and in 1 1/2 hours i was much better than in the beginning and it started to feel natural. I beat the AI on medium first time i drove against them, but it was after about 1 1/2 hours of practicing, lol, and on the 3km track which is easy to learn.
I hope they fix the sounds and i hope they can add graphically that you lean forward into the windscreen, and upwards when leaning back. If i recall wasnt that dangerous in MotoGP 08? Leaning back at high speed? I think they had wobbling etc if you behaved moronically. Anyhoo, i think im gonna buy it.