I have a '97 220 that was hardly ridden (250 miles or so) til I bought it last summer. It occasionally hits neutral when shifting from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 1st. It usually does this at the worst possible time, like steep uphills. I wondered if it was technique, so a friend tried it and it did the same thing to him. Any ideas???
same problem with ol' gouge. same solution. reposition the shifter so that when you're standing on the pegs, the shifter is above the toe of your boot.
also..., be more careful to select the right gear at the bottom of the hill.
AND!!! go to a 12T countershaft sprocket. this one thing will transform the usefulness of your 2nd gear, and virtually eliminate the need for 1st on any hillclimb.