I’m a huge Honda fan, principally for the bullet-proof nature of their engines. Most metric bikes are like that though, so I wouldn’t let that sway you too much.
My starter bike was a Honda Magna, on the recommendation of a friend. It’s heavier than the Shadow 600, and heavier than really recommended for starting. What I found was that I needed to go out to parking lots and quiet side streets to practice my low-speed maneuvers. You’ll want to do that anyway, with any new bike, but I found it was very necessary to learn what to do about the increased weight.
The weight isn’t impossible to learn, and I found that I adapted to it pretty easily. But definitely dedicate time to learning how the bike handles. I found that I could get my Magna around in the same tight circle that the MSF classes use for their figure eights, once I adapted to it and developed my confidence in the machine. In fact, I think that tight circle is easier on my bike than on theirs.