I have had a 98 Techno since 2000. I have never been able to hit nuetral while the engine is running. My theory is: there is constant clutch drag that makes shifting to neutral difficult. I've worked around it just fine, no big deal.
However, I did have an issue once with the shifter mechanism. Just inside the left side cover are two fortks that rotate the "bird cage" and shift drum. Both of these forks have a steel pin that in peened in place, and the pins coordinate the function of these two forks. They mount onto the the gear shift shaft that goes through the left engine cover. With age, these pins can become lose/worn and cause shifting issues. In my case, one pin came out completely and shifting was impossible. This might be something to check.
I had my gear box completely apart last year, and I was amazed at how well everything had held up. For the bike to be 7 years old at that point, I expected to see much more wear and/or damage. I ended up putting it all back together and didn't need to replace a single item in the gearbox.
Anyway, I hope this helps.