Very similar symptoms here:

https://www.triumphrat.net/threads/front-brake-issue.1011836/?post_id=2004471565&nested_view=1&sortby=oldest#post-2004471565

 

Assuming front and rear fluid is changed at the same time, both your brakes were fine for 800ks to France and back. If the bike's been standing for circa 3 months and the rear brake is fine, then it's unlikely to be bad fluid unless you've been really hammering the fronts in high temps. Does the lever 'pump up' when you press it repeatedly, quickly....and then pull back to the grip when you pull the lever slowly? If so, it needs bleeding, but you need to rule out worn pads. You can also try pumping the lever while gripping each hose firmly with your other hand. Braided lines shouldn't expand, but they can collapse internally.....you'll actually feel the pulses if the hoses are shot. Another symptom of a collapsing hose is the brakes will work OK but they'll drag much more than they should.
Unless you're 100 au fait with your braking system I'd always advise you get a qualified tech to carry out any work...it's life and death.

Be sure to post back and let us know what the issue was....

 

Thanks for the replies. I’ll check the pads and lines again today. It was already dark yesterday when I discovered this and we don’t have much lighting.

The only other thing to mention is that on my trip back from France, I accidentally dropped the tiger. We were not moving and the bike fell over onto the right side (my fault). There was absolutely no visible damage but when I put the bike upright the brake lever was totally soft. No resistance at all. I pumped it a few times and the resistance came back into the lever.

I’ve pumped the lever several times yesterday but it didn’t help. However it’s different to when the bike tipped because there is some resistance at the moment but just not much.

if there isn’t something obvious at inspection today I’ll just take it to the dealer for repair.
for sure I’ll post back what happened.

 

Thanks for the replies. I’ll check the pads and lines again today. It was already dark yesterday when I discovered this and we don’t have much lighting.

The only other thing to mention is that on my trip back from France, I accidentally dropped the tiger. We were not moving and the bike fell over onto the right side (my fault). There was absolutely no visible damage but when I put the bike upright the brake lever was totally soft. No resistance at all. I pumped it a few times and the resistance came back into the lever.

I’ve pumped the lever several times yesterday but it didn’t help. However it’s different to when the bike tipped because there is some resistance at the moment but just not much.

if there isn’t something obvious at inspection today I’ll just take it to the dealer for repair.
for sure I’ll post back what happened.

On the RH side you say? Do you have lever guards? This might be your culprit. If your lever was "forced" into the M/C, then I'd be looking there, especially if the lever went soft immediately after the drop.

 

So I just got my Tiger back after I took it to the dealer so they could look at the front brake, so I'm reporting back as promised.

The dealer says that there was water in the brake fluid and told me that it was because I had obviously had it in really damp conditions for a long time. I reminded them that this was obviously complete rubbish. It was serviced in July by them and the brake fluid was changed by them in July. I rode it one weekend to the south of France immediately after the service in really dry conditions and then had to put it in our indoor parking space (a very dry warm place) for 2.5 months while I recovered from knee surgery. So how did any water get in there? I keep 3 bikes in that garage for the last 15 years with never any humidity problems. 1 and a half years ago I went abroad on sabbatical and my bikes were stored there for a year and they were fine when I got back (brakes and all). So it sounds strange to me. It's not normal that the brake fluid would absorb a significant amount of water in such a short time.

I suspect something wasn't fully tightened after the service. They almost admitted as much as they gave me a substantial discount on work they did replacing the brake fluid with new fluid.

So now its a question of using the bike and waiting to see if the brake stays as it should be or goes soft again.

Thanks for everyones suggestions from the forum.

 

Thanks for the update....water in the fluid, indeed! We all know that Dot fluid is hygroscopic but in a properly sealed system it can take years for the effects to be noticeable during braking. Even if the fluid had been sitting around in an opened container for months, and wasn't degassed before use, you'd still be able to achieve reasonable pressure at the lever after bleeding, but your brakes would feel spongier than normal. I'm trying to figure out how a tip over might affect lever pressure, long term? I know if I turn my mountain bike upside down, the lever pressure drops, but returns after a couple of pumps, despite the system beng fully bled and full of fluid. But as you say, having ridden the bike back from France without issue, it suggets the fall had nothing to do with your problem. If it goes again in a matter of weeks it's time for a rebuild. All I can think of (assuming the boys in the garage did a proper job first time round!) is that the piston seals are worn or the hose connections are suspect....not bad enough to weep, but bad enough to allow air into the system. As for the ABS side of the set up, that remains a bit of a mystery. Fingers crossed all is well. You don't want to be f**king about with bad brakes....