To the op, honestly you have to lean into any bike.
I love HDs and have one myself, but I don't think cruisers make very good FIRST bikes. The ones pictured only have about 3 inches of fork travel and <2 inches of rear travel plus they steer wide. Plus they're heavy. Every new rider dumps his bike once or twice. If they can't get it back on it's wheels quick they get really flustered and nervous.
For a first timer I would recommend a used bike like one of these:
Yamaha wr250x
Suzuki drz400sm
Here's why:
They are very light (about 300lbs wet)
They are very maneuverable
They move quick enough but not scary quick
They have massive suspension which is great for newbies *
The side parts are mainly plastic and easy to replace if dropped
They sit you upright so you have good vision
* The massive suspension is great for newbies because little things like potholes just get rolled right over, where as they can really upset or even damage a cruiser.
Just my 2cents.
I think a HD is great after you get some experience though.