hey all, i am doing a mass maintenance on my bike and just recently did the chain/sprockets. however, i just noticed the gear lever when pushed down returns real slow, and vice versa. as if its binding or something. should i take the cover off and try to realign it? is this even an issue? or is it something internal.

I would start with the simple stuff, like cleaning the area around the shifter, I dont remember if it goes through the sprocket cover or not, but if it does, its real likely its just moving slow because of dirt buildup in that area. its real common. lube the clutch cable and clean out that cover area real good while you're in there.