What's a good 1 to 2Kish motorcycle?

[regisd]

the shadow's a good v-twin. it's also got a fairly good customer base, so parts/accessories are easy to come by - even for the older models. i had a magna for a few years, which is the same basic bike, and it ran well. dual-disk brakes on the front are a nice-to-have -- i'm not sure what model years (if any) have them.

if you want to do any of your own wrenching, i'd recommend getting a model old enough to have carburetors. i know some of the newer larger shadows have moved to fuel injection engines.

the nighthawks are also good, although i find them a bit tall (i've got a 27" inseam, so i have trouble finding bikes that fit well). same with the BMW's, although i love the look and handling on some of the sport-tourers they sell.

the honda valkyrie (aka the hondapotamus) is probably out of your price range. they're comfortable for tall folks.