Gauge Cushion & Mounting Washer Kit | Honda CB350 / CB360 / CB450 / CB500K
Your speedometer and tachometer were never bolted straight to the bike. They sit in rubber, because a needle bouncing at every firing pulse is a needle you cannot read. Fifty years on, that rubber is usually gone.
Why You Need This
The cushion that holds each gauge is one of the first things on these bikes to give up. Most of the ones we see have melted into goo. If a gauge is flopping around in its chrome cup, that is the cushion telling you it is finished.
It is not only about the wobble. Vibration reaching a tachometer sets the control spring resonating, and the needle starts to hunt instead of sitting where it should. The rubber is what stops that, which is why Honda put it there in the first place.
Each gauge sits on two studs, shimmed with two stepped rubber washers that have almost certainly crumbled alongside the cushion. These are OEM Honda parts.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|
| Replaces OEM Parts | 37242-319-000 (early-style cushion), 37242-323-701 (late-style cushion), 37244-307-670 (stepped mounting washer) |
| Fits Models | CB350 (K3–K5/G), CL350 (K3–K5), SL350 (K2), CB360G, CB360T, CL360 (K0–K1), CB450 (K3–K7), CL450 (K3–K6), CB500K (K0–K1) |
| Sold As | One kit per gauge — one cushion plus two mounting washers |
Note: one kit does one gauge. A bike with both a speedometer and a tachometer needs two kits.
Model-Specific Notes
- Early or late style? Pick the style from the compatibility chart on this page — the asterisked model years take the early-style cushion. Check it before you order rather than after.
- CB550, CB750, CB500T and CB500 K2 do NOT fit. Those run the larger-diameter gauges and take a different kit — see the Gauge Cushion & Mounting Washer Kit for CB500 / CB550 / CB750.
- CB200 and CL200: we do not carry a gauge cushion for that family at all.
What’s in the Kit
- Gauge cushion (1) — early or late style, your choice at checkout
- Stepped rubber mounting washer (2)
Installation
Difficulty: Beginner
Tools needed: 6 mm wrench or socket for the gauge mounting nuts
- Disconnect the speedometer and tachometer cables at the gauges.
- Unscrew the 6 mm nuts underneath and lift the gauge off the fork top bridge.
- Clear out whatever is left of the old cushion and washers.
- Fit the new cushion. On the speedometer it is notched on the bottom side to clear the trip meter reset knob — get that orientation right before you tighten anything.
- Seat the two stepped washers on the studs and start the nuts.
- Tighten until evenly snug and stop there.
Do not chase a tight nut. The studs are built into the gauge body and they will shear off. Because the whole assembly is rubber-mounted, the nuts never feel properly tight — you get even resistance, and that is your answer.
While the gauges are off, look at the instrument bulbs. They can only be reached with the gauges out, so replacing a burnt-out one now saves doing this job twice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know whether I need the early or late style?
Go by model year on the compatibility chart on this page — the asterisked years take the early style. If your bike has been apart before and the parts have been swapped around, go by the chart rather than by what came out of it.
How many kits do I need?
One per gauge. Most of these bikes came with both a speedometer and a tachometer, so that is usually two.
Will this fit my CB550?
No. The 550 uses the larger-diameter gauges, as do the CB750, CB500T and CB500 K2. Those take the CB500 / CB550 / CB750 kit instead.
Do I have to take the gauges off?
Yes. Disconnect the cables, undo the 6 mm nuts, and the gauge lifts off the fork top bridge. That is also the only way to reach the instrument bulbs.
Why do the nuts never feel tight?
Because they are not clamping metal to metal — there is rubber in the stack by design. Even resistance is as far as it goes. Push past it and you can shear a stud off the back of the gauge, which turns a simple job into a gauge replacement.
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Last updated: August 2026
