Oh-oh, this is getting to be a topic like you see in other online sites. Whose
yellow stream is the longest?
Instead of getting defensive, it comes down to the OP having to tear into his system to do the types of things which have been suggested here. By doing the whole 'kit & kaboodle,' you aren't going to know which item it was unless you find something like a sticking caliper piston, a plugged front master cyl bleed hole, no lubrication on the lever pivot, or whatever else has been discussed here.
If I was faced w/this problem, I'd begin w/the easy, less-time-intensive fixes, and work towards those requiring more tear-down time & effort. You could check if any one thing did the trick, or you could just disassemble the entire front brake system, and give it an overhaul. In an older bike that's not a bad idea, and since the newest Gen 1 is now 8 years old, I think that proves my point. It doesn't matter if you only ride 1K miles/season, as opposed to 8K/season, sometimes, less miles allows idleness to cause problems the well-exercised bike may not develop.
I once had a brake line collapse, it was a partial collapse, but it wouldn't allow the brake pressure to fully-release. A new line fixed it, and the symptoms were similar to this guy's. Not much pedal travel (back hydraulic brake) and very quick actuation. No stickiness to the pedal movement.
I'm not a machinist, I'm not a mechanic. I'm a hobbyist w/nearly 50 years of time messing w/cars, trucks, and bikes. I've never owned a record-setting anything, but I get a lot of satisfaction out of fixing something that I know if I took it to the factory shop, they would charge me a lot of $$$ to fix it. The diagnosis can be maddening at times, repairs may take longer than 'dropping it at the shop,' but the $$ savings once you eventually do figure it out makes it a rewarding process. I'm fortunate that I have an extended circle of knowledgeable friends and acquaintances I can ask for assistance, and sometimes I do just turn it over to a professional.
When we come here to complain about something we cannot deduce the solution to on our own, we're asking our brothers for ideas. The younger guy doesn't have the experience that an older guy does, but he may be more technically-experienced in working w/the equipment in today's bikes filled w/their CAN-BUS electrical systems, though the VMax is prehistoric in that event.
So, when someone else has a different idea, you shouldn't think someone is personally impugning your skills as a shade-tree mechanic, a skilled diagnostic technician of niggling problems, or someone who doesn't know his way around a set of metric sockets and JIS screwdrivers. They're merely positing another possible reason for
'why my bike is &*%$^%#!8**'ing-up.'
I come on here because I learn from others' experiences, and I may be able to better-troubleshoot my own problems after reading of someone else's problem, and the eventual solution.
This sandbox is big-enough for everyone to build their own castles, don't start stomping on each other's work, or comments, we've got a lot of civility displayed as a matter of course, and unless someone brings up politics, religion, or another hot-button topic, we all get-along better than nearly any-other online source of information I've ever seen.
