I concur that the 1 to 2 shift needs to be done higher in the rev line for it to be smoother... or you can start from 2nd to skip that 1st to 2nd notchiness all together (you'll find many threads on the forum regarding that same complaint).

That being said, I love slamming it from 1st to 2nd and breaking the rear loose... one of the simple joys in my life