guys -
dataquest, no its not normal. wait till 1st valve service to correct (if its not leaking terribly) and read below.if it disturbs you and you want to correct it prior, why not?
the valve cover has a surface slot all the way around, except for circular cam plug area. the gasket has a mating ridge and kind of "snaps in " to the cover. . IMHO- the way to go here is either RTV or hi-temp silicone just to tack the gasket into the valve cover (the ridge into the slot) , positively "locating" it properly. this way, as valve cover is inverted for installation, the gasket does not fall out of the ridge and get installed out of position...thereby preventing leakage.
so you're using the sealant (in this case) as an *adhesive* to hold the gasket in its correct place. would also help prevent "poking in" as well, i'd guess. :
needless to say, in doing this procedure both surfaces should be oil free and sprayed with contact cleaner and dried prior to applying adhesive/sealant.
hey, we got it easy today. back in the mid to late '70s, the gaskets were paper and had to be scraped clean with a razor over the whole surface area of the valve cover AND its mating surface on the head.
the circular "cam caps" were seperate pieces and required sealant. if you didn't scrape properly, they LEAKED like pigs and you got to do a do-over. what a PIA. ask your dads about Z1's, XS11 's and honda 750's. mention this subject and i'll bet they'll end up cussin and swearin, just like me. ;D