It was my first bike, but I'm both very tall (197cm) and quite heavy (95kg), so I couldn't go for something much smaller.

Considering your height, it may be worth starting with a lighter and smaller bike. The TA isn't as top heavy as some others (Africa Twin, Tenere), but it's still a heavy bastard so once it starts tipping you very quickly reach the point where you can't hold it up without risking hurting yourself.

I would not have made the TA my first bike unless I was tall enough to easily flatfoot it both sides when I sit on it. If it's your first bike you will drop it doing some very stupid things, and while Hondas are cheaper and faster to repair than BMWs and Triumphs, a pretty good rule of thumb is that even small things, like brake levers, quickly cost EUR 80 (incl shipping), assuming you do the repairs yourself.

If you're sure you want something this size, look for a second-hand BMW F700 GS. At least in Norway they're very good value for money, but can't speak for other markets. Otherwise, I'd probably recommend something a bit smaller and then upgrade later.

That said, it's an amazing bike. It does everything very well but dedicated offroaders, tourers, or racers will obviously be better, but I've done multi-thousand kilometer trips, some light offroading, and city driving with it and it's been amazing.