Excuse my ramblings here but is there a Metric version of the Street/ Road Glide? I cruise Craigslist and metric cruisers are pennies compared to a Harley. That is more my budget currently and would be better suited for my needs. (although ADV tourer/ big CC sport tourer might too)
Whats the closest fuel injected bike to the street/road glide?
Maybe the Vulcan?
You've also got the Star V star deluxe form Yamaha.
https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2013/03/02/2013-star-v-star-1300-deluxe-first-ride-review/
Of course if you like them a bit more ugly, you could always choose a Honda.
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/reviews/honda-ctx1300-deluxe-vs-star-v-star-1300-deluxe-mc-comparo
VTX 1800 Go big or go home.
If you want a metric fairing Harley type bike you have the Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero/Voyager or the Yamaha Star 1300 Deluxe. Or be the real outlier and go for the Moto Guzzi Flying Fortress.
They are going to run you the same amount of money in the long run. The Harley will hold its value and parts are easier to come by. Get a used Road Glide, ride it for five or six years and take a few K hit on it when you sell it. Especially if you go older then 2009 and you buy private party.
They are the gold standard for a reason.
In reply to wearymicrobe:
I'm not sure that there is a long way for the value of a used metric bike to fall. Seems that all run around the same money and I don't see that money dropping in the future.
For used Sportster money you can pick up a full size, fully dressed metric bike.
I don't see a five year ownership, including resale, costing the same on a metric bike compared to a Harley. The buy in is just that much higher. I'm a Harley guy but money is money.
I had a Honda 1100 for one summer, it just wasn't me. Sold it in the fall for what I paid for it, ~$3k. I'm 5'11" and almost couldn't hit the pegs way out front, decent enough bike though, reliable.
If you want a bike, buy a bike; if you want an investment for long term talk to a financial planner.
I hear a lot of good things about the large CC Honda shaft drive bikes.
Been on a few as well and they do the job well.
I had a Goldwing and several CX/GL bikes. The wife owns a Shadow.
At the end of the world, there will be cockroaches and water-cooled, shaft driven Honda motorcycles.
Trans_Maro wrote: I had a Goldwing and several CX/GL bikes. The wife owns a Shadow. At the end of the world, there will be cockroaches and Keith Richards riding a water-cooled, shaft driven Honda motorcycle.
Fixed that for you 
I have had my V-Star 950 for 7 or 8 years now, and I think that it hits a real sweet spot. It has the long and low look that people want in a cruiser, plenty of room for two-up touring, and plenty of power when loaded for a long trip. The motor is air-cooled, but pretty high-tech and loves to rev. It's been absolutely bulletproof, and there is tons of aftermarket for it. I added a batwing fairing like this one:
The best part is that you can get one for $4500 any day of the week.
The drawbacks are that it does not have all the bells and whistles of a larger bike, no electronic fancy stuff, radio, nav, gauges, etc. You have to step up to the 1300 for that which looks almost the same IMHO. A lot of the chrome you see is actually plastic, where on a Harley it would be real steel. The lean angle is about 7-degrees before the boards scrape, so it's no sport bike. (ok not that bad, but it has to be the lowest of any modern bike) It rides really great, so its a shame you can't lean it more.
If you want a low-cost entry into cruising, its hard to beat the V-Star 950.
Victory now discontinued should be cheap? 100+ cubic inches!
Just remember, metric cruisers are the Chrysler Sebring of motorcycles. 
Go buy something sexy and Italian. You can thank me later.
In reply to Trans_Maro:
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