This may be a dumb question, but I've noticed that when I shift from 1st to 2nd, and so on, the bike won't shift when the clutch is pulled all the way in, it actually has to be out a bit.  I kept wondering why my husband's instructions weren't working, just discovered this by trial and error.  Is this normal?  Or is this a problem? Thanks!

I don't know for sure that it is a "problem," but I suspect it's not the way it is supposed to be.

(I can shift without the clutch lever pulled, up to all the way pulled in if I match speeds (close). If I have the lever pulled all the way, I can shift even when stopped I don't normally do this, because sometimes you can end up in neutral and have to release the lever slightly to resync the gears, but normally the gears stayed synced on my bike whether the clutch is partially engaged or not. Just for comparison, I had a pick-up truck that I had to feather the clutch to shift, but it had close to 200,000 miles on the transmission. I knew the transmission was worn, but I didn't see the wear as a problem worth changing a transmission.)

As far as being a problem, will it damage the bike or cause an accident, I don't know. It does seem like it would make it more difficult to shift if you have to "ride" the clutch. It also seems like it would wear your clutch out sooner if you have to keep it partially engaged all the time.

Good luck. I don't remember if your bike was "new" if you got it from a dealer, I'd have them look at it if you are concerned (based on your experience and answers you get here).