MonkeyLover

I've heard that riding side-saddle is the norm in South-Eastern Asian countries...and I totally agree with you that it's just completely unsafe at road speeds.

I recommended the twins mainly because of cost and behavior. You can go pick up a Honda ST1100, or one of the other dwindling few that run V4s, but they're most likely going to be more expensive. They're also usually more touring/sport-touring oriented rather than relaxed cruising. Also, I feel that a twin would better suit your needs due to it usually having a much more managable (and FLAT) torque curve. The V4s are a bit more high strung.

biturbowagon

I'm not a cruiser fan. But a Magna would be a decent choice.