I was hoping I could further this thread by asking a question directly related.
Like the idiot newbie biker I am, I accidentally pulled the cover off about 1/4 inch. Maybe a hair more. (The rear brake rod prevented me from going further). I heard a little suction noise and lost a small amount of oil before I realized I was being stupid and placed the cover back on. I topped of the oil and ran the bike. Everything seems okay aside from the fact that I may have created an oil leak.
The question is, did I possibly do something that could be causing damage as I continue to ride that I'm not thinking about?