Ok, new to the sight and was considering trading up from my 05 FLSTF so I started looking at the CVOs and made it to this sight. Seems like a lot of problems with these. I've got none with my fatboy, was just considering an increase in power. Is the CVO worth it? Considering "96" or up.
Keep in mind that you only read things about those bikes that have problems. Nobody posts things about how great their bikes are, generally. The 110" engine is about as good as HD makes now. I wouldn't have given you $1.00 for an '07 when they first came out, but HD finally stepped up and got those issues straightened out...it wasn't pretty, but they got fixed.
If you want a CVO bike, get one. If you plan on doing heavy modifications to the engine, don't buy the extended service plan. If you plan on keeping it basically stock with a different exhaust, etc., then get the ESP and ride it.
Most folks on this site actually RIDE their bikes, putting quite a few miles on them each year, so any problems show up sooner. The vast majority of HD riders don't put 4K miles on their bikes in a year. Therein lies the difference.