The Syncros FR2 Factory Headset
Reviewed by Johnny Smoke

Back in the fall there was a torture test review of the new offerings from Syncros.  Noticeably absent from that review was the headset, as the bike being used as the test platform wouldn't accept a deep cup design.  It should be noted that the Syncros headset, while a deep cup, is NOT as deep as the King, and is compatible with many more frames than the King Steelset.

I managed to shake down Syncros for a sample FR headset myself very early last year.  I ran it for over a  hundred days of riding in all kinds of weather, under all sorts of circumstances.  I ran it on the Rocky Mountain  RMX with a Sherman Slider + from late April until early December. Furthermore, I installed the unit and forgot about it.  I tightened it from time to time, but apart from that, no maintenance.  No lube, no love, nothing - I did not open it once all year.
 
The result?

A very slight discolouration on the lower race.  No pitting, no rust, no corrosion, and the grease even held up.

As you can see in the picture, the lower bearings are a loose ball (1/4" I believe) while the upper is a cartridge.  I've been leery of loose bearing headsets for years, as I have a long history of destroying them in a matter of hours.  Those old AheadSets?  Pitted out and ruined in a week or less on average.  That's why I've been running nothing but King for the past few years.  Expensive but reliable. 
 
So is Syncros sitting back on their laurels now that they have designed a bomber product?  Of course not.  Marshall Cant, head honch product developer at Syncros, tells me that he has a revolutionary new headset in development for next year that will enable 1.5" frame owners to run 1-1/8" forks with hardly any stack height.  Can you say Marzocchi 888?
 
Go ahead and send it - this headset means business.
I've been doing product reviews and evaluations for a long time, and this has got to be one of the simplest I've ever done.
 
It's tough, it's cool looking, and it works.

To check out  the 2005 Syncros Web site click here.

About the reviewer:
When not testing gear or snorkling in pow (yes even this year Smoke got lucky) Johnny Smoke is busy with Bush Pilot tours - a freeride tour company that will take you where you want to go in B.C.  You'd be hard pressed to find a guide who knows the inside line at more B.C. destinations - or to find someone who knows how to squeeze more fun out of a vertical foot. Check out the Bush Pilot Web site for more info - or this article I wrote after my first trip with Johnny and Barb.