Buell Blast shifter/clutch issue?

Is it OK to come to a stop by holding the clutch, then once you're stopped, changing to first gear? My clutch is harder than normal to pull in, could this be a problem? Sometimes when I switch gears it makes the sound as if I weren't holding down the clutch (not that I know what that's like, but I'm assuming (just a horrible noise))...Lastly, sometimes the engine takes about 5 seconds to start up when parked for a few hours... Might I need a tune up? After the engine is warmed up, it always starts up instantly.