Front Disc Brake Pads (Early-Style Caliper) for Honda CB450 K3–K4 / CB750K
Replacement front disc brake pads for the early-style Tokico caliper — the one Honda used on the first-generation disc-brake CB450 and on all CB750K0 through K7. Different pad shape, different caliper, different bleeder orientation than the late-style family. Old pads harden, glaze over, and stop gripping.
Why You Need This
Front brake pads on a 50-year-old Honda don't bite the way they used to. The friction material hardens from thermal cycling, and pads that have been soaked by a leaky caliper piston seal crumble off their metal backing. The front brake delivers most of the stopping power — pads that don't grip turn a routine stop into a longer one.
These are EBC pads, made in the UK. They're the correct pad for the early-style Tokico caliper — the one Honda fit on the CB450 K3 (1970) and K4 (1971), and on the CB750K from 1969 through 1976. That caliper body is structurally different from the late-style Tokico used on CB350G, CB360, CB450 K5–K7, CB500T, and CB550. Same family, different pad.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|
| Replaces OEM Part Numbers | 45105-341-305, 45105-300-040, 45105-341-000, 45106-341-305, 45106-300-040, 45106-341-000 |
| Fits Models | CB450 K3 (1970), CB450 K4 (1971), CB750K0 (1969), CB750K1 (1970), CB750K2 (1971), CB750K3 (1972), CB750K4 (1973), CB750K5 (1974), CB750K6 (1975), CB750K7 (1976) |
| Brand / Origin | EBC, made in the United Kingdom |
| Sold As | Pair (one thicker Pad A for piston side + one thinner Pad B for opposite side) |
| Wear Indicator | Red wear-limit line scribed into the friction face — replace when worn to the line |
| Install Clearance | 0.15 mm (0.0059 in.) disc-to-pad clearance at install |
| Brake System | Early-style Tokico single-piston front caliper — bleeder screw offset pointing to the FRONT of the bike (~11 o'clock) |
| Brake Fluid Spec | DOT 3 (Honda factory spec across this brake family) |
| Lever Free Play | 2–5 mm (0.08–0.2 in.) at the tip |
Important Notes
Does NOT fit the late-style caliper found on CB350G, CB360, CB450 K5–K7, CB500T, CB500K, or CB550. If your bleeder screw points straight up, you have the late-style caliper and need our CB450 K5–K7 / CB500T pads or the CB500K / CB550K / CB550F pads instead.
Does NOT cover CB750 F (Super Sport), CB750A (Automatic), or post-1976 CB750 models. Fitment is CB750K0 through K7 only.
How to Identify Early vs. Late Style Caliper
- Early style (this pad): Bleeder screw is offset, pointing toward the FRONT of the motorcycle — roughly the 11 o'clock position as you look at the caliper from the right side.
- Late style (different pad): Bleeder screw points straight UP — vertical.
If you can't see the bleeder easily, pull the caliper off and compare against photos of the two variants. The early-style caliper body also has prominent cooling ribs on its face.
Installation
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate. A bench-top pad swap once the caliper is off the rotor.
Tools needed: 100-grit sandpaper (or a finishing sander), brake cleaner, disc brake caliper grease, nitrile gloves.
- Remove the caliper from the fork leg. Hang the caliper so it doesn't pull the brake hose.
- Remove the old pads. Note orientation: the thicker Pad A goes on the piston side, the thinner Pad B goes on the opposite side. Honda uses a cotter pin to retain the pads through a locating pin.
- Sand the rotor. Give both sides of the front rotor a pass with 100-grit sandpaper — hand-sanded or with a finishing sander. This removes the glaze and prepares the surface for the new pads. Wipe the rotor down with brake cleaner.
- Apply caliper grease ONLY to the back of each pad and the recesses of the caliper housing where the pad rides. Keep grease completely off the friction face of the pad and off the rotor. A light film on the metal backing and the outer-diameter metal edge helps the pad slide freely in the caliper.
- Install the new pads. Pad A piston-side, Pad B opposite. Check the disc-to-pad clearance at 0.15 mm (0.0059 in.).
- Pad should slide in easily. If the pad binds, sand the inner recess of the caliper housing lightly until it fits.
- Reinstall the cotter pin (or locating pin). The replacement pad does not come with a pre-drilled cotter pin hole — in our testing, the retaining pin stays securely in place without one. If you prefer to match the original setup, a hole can be drilled.
- Reinstall the caliper on the fork leg. If fluid was low or the piston was pushed back, top up the master cylinder with fresh DOT 3 brake fluid and bleed the system.
- Bed the new pads in. Find an empty road, build to ~30 mph, and apply moderate braking eight or ten times without coming to a complete stop. This transfers an even layer of pad material to the rotor.
Never apply grease to the friction face. Contamination on the pad face reduces stopping power and can cause unpredictable brake behavior.
Our Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding the Honda CB Hydraulic Front Brake System walks through the whole workflow. At the end of the video, both early-style and late-style calipers are shown side by side to explain the difference. See Part 2 for bleeding the line after pad/caliper work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this fit my CB450 K5, K6, or K7?
No. CB450 K5–K7 use the late-style Tokico caliper with the bleeder pointing up. Buy our CB450 K5–K7 / CB500T pads instead.
Does this fit my CB750 F (Super Sport), CB750A, or 1977–1978 CB750K?
Fitment is CB750K0 through K7 (1969–1976). Later CB750 variants (CB750F Super Sport, CB750A Automatic, and post-1976 K models) are not on our fitment chart. Contact us if you have a later CB750 and we'll point you to the correct part.
The new pad doesn't have a cotter pin hole. Is that right?
Yes. The replacement pad does not ship with a pre-drilled hole in the locating pin. In our testing, the retaining pin stays securely in place without one. If you want to match the Honda original, you can drill a hole — but it's not required.
How do I know when to replace the pads?
Honda scribes a red line across the friction surface of each pad. When the pad material wears down to that line, replace them. If the pad is thinner than the metal backing plate it's mounted on, replace.
Should I replace anything else while the caliper is apart?
If your caliper is leaking fluid or the piston is sticky, our Early-Style Caliper Rebuild Kit includes new pads plus a piston seal, bleeder screw, and crush washers. A cracked or deteriorated rubber brake hose is worth replacing at the same time — CB450 K3–K4 owners can use our rubber brake hose kit; CB750 owners should use our stainless steel brake line which has the correct CB750 lower-hose length.
What brake fluid should I use?
DOT 3. That's the Honda factory spec for this brake family. Don't mix DOT 3 with DOT 5 (silicone) — the two are not compatible and mixing them will damage the seals.
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Last updated: April 2026
