Before I found the Cafe Sport, I was really tempted to get the RE Continental GT. What’s not to like. Brand new well sorted twin for under $7k, good looks, lots of aftermarket parts to play with. Until I finally went to check them out at the local dealer and they were all out of stock... Twist of fate, I now own a V11 Cafe and I couldn’t be more content.
I also really like the kawasaki z900rs for a truly modern performance retro bike but that would be well above my budget...
And if money is no object, the Triumph SpeedTwin would definitely be on top of the list.