ESC, how reliable?

[paganman]

I'm about to do a deal on my 1st R1200 adventure, it's got everything I wanted including the electronic suspension.
I'm used to conventional shocks with remote mechanical adjusters and I get my shocks and forks serviced regularily.
How reliable is the ESA system? Is it straight forward to remove for dealer/independant service in years to come?
I plan to keep this bike for a fair old time and the sensible part of me says get standard suspension as it's what I know, and I can get it serviced and set up by suspension specialists such as Reactive Suspension, but the ESA seems so handy for the varying needs of what I want a GS for.
Any thoughts gratefully received
Thanks

 

[Rasher]

I deliberately avoided it and put the savings towards some fantastic fully adjustable Wilburs units.

Loads of ESA Vs Ohlins / Wilburs topics if you look for them.

You lose a bit of convenience and have to spend 10 - 20 seconds adjusting them when adding a passenger, but get a better quaility unit that work over a wider range (therefore requiring less little adjustments anyway)

I think the main benefit is decent aftermarket shocks can be fully rebuilt and a service with new seals and fluid costs about £75 every 2-3 years and keeps them tip-top.

Whereas the OE units are built down to a price and filled with cheap and nasty oil, when new they are not as good and then they just slowly deteriorate until you have to spend a fortune on new ones - plus there are a load of electrics and motors to go wrong as well - Probably very reliable when new, but so were all the powervalves and exup type gubbins on bikes of yesteryear until they do a few winters and start seizing up / falling apart.

Good aftermarket stuff also holds its value very well so you can always flog it on later