Looking for a nice first bike?

I'm gonna buy a motorcycle in January 2016. I want to get a cruiser but I don't know where to start. I don't want to pay too much and my friends are telling me to get 1100 cc because that's the only way to keep up on the freeway. I really like the Honda Shadow line but all I see is 750cc does anyone know ones that look simular to like a Honda Shadow Aero that's 1100cc?

They did make a Honda Shadow 1100 at one time, I don't know if they still do or not.

Also, I started riding on a 04 Suzuki Marauder Vz800 and it could handle Interstate riding fine. And after I tuned it up it could smoke 1100s in a race.

LOL - if you can't keep up on the freeway with a 750, you're not trying too hard.
Even that sounds like a big, heavy, powerful bike to be starting on.
Heck, I can keep up on the interstate with my Rebel 250.

You don't NEED an 1100cc motor to keep up on the freeway. Any good mid-sized (500-900 cc) cruiser has plenty of speed and power to run all day long at freeway speeds. They are also lighter weight and easier to control than one of the heavier 1000+cc bikes. I like the Honda Shadow 750, but you might also want to look at the Kawasaki 900cc Vulcan, or the Suzuki Boulevard cruisers. Harley-Davidson just introduced two new mid sized bikes this past summer… The "Street" 500 and 750, and of course, there's the tried and true Harley Sportster with an 883cc engine. ANY of these bikes would be more than adequate for a first bike.

I ride a Vespa LX150 on the freeways of Los Angeles and tour on the Interstates, I pass 10% of all traffic.
exactduke's 250 can do over 75 mph, actual GPS verified, which will be passing 75% of the vehicles on the Interstates. My prior bike was a Suzuki LS650 Savage, now known as the S40 -- light, quick, agile, can do 85 mph if you need to get a few tickets. Harley's new Street 750 was built to out-match the Shadow 750, can do 90+ mph in a quarter mile drag and tops over 120 mph if you are stupid enough to do that on the highway.

Less weight means easier to ride, which is why I now have a 245 pound scoot. Exactduke's Rebel is 330 pounds, the Big Single S40 is 380 pounds, the H-D is just under 500 pounds, 1100cc cruisers will be closer to 600 pounds. Cruising on the Interstate is nice on a big boat, but is a handful in city traffic.

You don't NEED an 1100cc bike.

Get a 750 or 900 and you'll be able to keep up perfectly fine!

Shadow did make an 1100 for certain years, but all the new ones are 750. That being said, an 1100 is definitely not a beginner bike, and I wouldn't suggest it. And a 750 can keep up and pass most anything on the freeway just fine, I've put 20,000 miles on my shadow 750 in the last 2-3 years, most of that on the freeway. The only reason an 1100 would be better is because it's a smoother ride at freeway speeds with the bigger engine, which really only makes a difference for long rides. My ride to work is 50 miles each way on the freeway, and I've never had an issue with my 750. Heck, top speed on an 1100 vs a 750 is only like 10-15mph difference, and you'll never need the top speed on either of them(both will do 105-110mph+). And the 750 gets a lot better gas mileage(I get 55-60mpgs on mine). I specifically chose my 750 over an older 1100 shadow I could have gotten for a few hundred dollars less. I'd rather have the 750 for around town cruising, only time I'd prefer the 1100 is long road trips(like 300+miles in a day kinda trips).

It is your money if you want a 750 get it and it will keep up on the highway or you will need to twist the throttle harder. I ride a old 175 Honda with no problems and I keep can up all the time. And a few speeding tickets to prove it