Help please! Quad will not shift into neutral

Hello there my name is Harold and I have a 95 Foreman 400 4x4. This weekend while camping we had a problem shifting. It will shift from 1st gear all the way to 5th no problem. However, it will not go below 1st gear to get into neutral so that I can start it. While the motor is off- for me to shift from 1st to 5th I have to rock the quad back and forth for the gear to engage (which is normal). I dropped the quad off at the dealer for them to give me an estimate. They want to take the motor out and tear it apart. They are guessing around $1,200. Im not sure if its worth that much!
Has anyone ever heard of this happening on a foreman? What could it be? I just called a used ATV parts house and they say they will sell the tranny assembly for $250.00. Do you recommend changing the assembly? I am hoping that I dont have this problem with my 2000 Foreman!
Thanks for any help!
Harold.