Everyone like to think they made the best decision, and it seems to have worked out OK for you but, you are 3 for 3 with bikes that had catastrophic breakdowns? You have to admit this does not accurately reflect what the average guy is to expect, or possibly ever even hear of.
The average CVO owner must have made some good financial decisions in order to get one, not trying to single you out personally, just ESP plans are just not one of them.
Mileage-wise, I have been averaging 14k per year since adding the touring lineup in 2009, and still own my Shovelhead from the 80s which has 100k plus miles on it. If I combine the cost of all the breakdowns on all my Harleys in all those years, it does not add up to the cost of one ESP plan. Granted I stay on top of my own equipment as PMs require.
Three of my last four bikes needed some sort of warranty work during the two year factory warranty period, nothing major. But with each bike the service manager challenged me on honoring the warranty, Factory warranties! The most ridiculous of which had to do with the Harmon Kardon radio, it stopped working. Manager said he could deny the warranty based on my replacing slip on mufflers. He said they were not factory, therefore the harmonics of the whole bike are changed, and if he choose to write that in the repair notes, my warranty would be over. Why would anyone want to pay to extend that relationship? The cost of a flat rate Radio exchange at Iron Cross was $150 at that time, a lot less than any ESP!
Let me say, I have never bought and ESP, I'm on my 5th CVO since 2009. That said, I have considered it very hard. The CVO 110 has a very poor reliability record, much worse than the 88, 96 and 103 engines. They are notorious for failed lifter and compensators.
I personally know 5 people, and and 7 bikes that have had lifter failures, obviously of those people have had it happen twice.
I put high miles on my bikes in a short time. My 09 CVO with 46K on it when I traded it had the lifters fail on the first demo after the dealer owned it. It had two compensators while I owned it. My 12 had a failed regulator and compensator before I traded it. My 13 CVO has had zero issues, but I replaced the lifters with 5K on the bike. My 15 CVO Road Glide Ultra lifters failed with 43800 miles on the bike, at 2 years and 10 days old, Motor had to be replaced.
So I also know 3 2015 CVO Road Glide Ultras that have had the motor replaced counting mine.
Other than my 13 CVO which with a help of a friend the motor was built right, if I am going to keep the bike over two years on a 110 motor, it will have an ESP.
I am hope that my 114 M8 has a better track record than the 110. That said, I have no ESP on it.
I do understand people with an ESP on a 110 bike. I do not on a 103 bike or a 96 bike.