That's semi-normal behavior. 12 kicks is a tad excessive, but a lot of people have trouble kickstarting bikes that aren't pig-rich on the idle circuit. Have some friends that couldn't start a bike to save their lives, but only take me one or two tries to get going.
If it runs well, idles well (once warmed up), and plugs look good, you probably just need to get used to it's particular starting ritual.
(by the way, I don't quite get the 'clear coating of pods' thing. How do you know they are offering equal restriction?)