My '97 doen it too. When I bought it, I was told "They all do that" ... which I believe to be true.
My method ....warm up the bike in N for a minute or two ... get on the bike , pull in the clutch and push along on a flat surface like a skateboard, then click it into 1st while keeping the clutch pulled in. Ride circles and rev the engine and it works normal after about a minute.