Spoke Wrench | Vintage Honda Motorcycles
Spoke wheels drift out of true — a pothole here, a hard landing there, and the rim starts to wobble. Truing it means tightening and loosening the right spokes to pull the rim back into line, and that job goes a lot better with a wrench sized to your spoke nipples than with an adjustable that rounds them off.
Why You Need This
Vintage Honda spoke nipples come in two sizes, and a wrench that only sort of fits will chew the flats off a nipple in a hurry. We could never find a good dedicated spoke wrench for these bikes, so we made our own. It carries the two sizes found across the CB, CL, SL, and CT range — 4.3 mm and 5.7 mm — each machined to grip the nipple snugly with minimal slop, so you get clean, controlled adjustment instead of a rounded-off mess.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|
| Sizes | 4.3 mm and 5.7 mm (one on each end) |
| Material | 1/4" cut steel, zinc coated |
| Fits Models | CT90 / Trail 90; CB100 / CL100 / SL100; CB125 / CL125 / SL125; CB175 / CL175 / SL175; CB200 / CL200; CB350 / CL350 / SL350; CB350F / CB400F; CB360 / CL360 / CJ360; CB450 / CL450 / CB500T; CB500K / CB550K / CB550F; CB750K / CB750F / CB750A |
| Warranty | Lifetime, from Common Motor |
| Sold As | Sold Individually |
Which End for Your Bike
- 5.7 mm end: CB175 through CB750
- 4.3 mm end: CT90, CB100, and CB125
Not sure your bike is on the list? Measure a spoke nipple across the flats — if it’s 4.3 mm or 5.7 mm, this wrench fits, and that covers nearly every vintage Honda of the era.
Using It
Difficulty: Beginner
Free the nipples first. Spokes are rarely turned, and often haven’t moved since the wheel left the factory. A little penetrating oil on the threads helps the nipple turn freely. Moisture often gets trapped between the rim strip and the nipple from inside the rim, so if one won’t budge, you may need to pull the tire, de-rust the back side of the nipples, and oil them before adjusting.
Work in small steps. Adjust a little at a time, moving between groups of three or four spokes rather than cranking any single one all the way. A truing stand with a dial indicator makes it far easier to watch the rim come back into line.
No torque spec? Tune by ear. Honda never published a spoke torque value for these wheels. The shop trick is to tap each spoke with the wrench and listen: a properly tensioned spoke rings with a clear tone, while a loose one gives a dull thud. Bring the dead-sounding ones up until they ring like the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Honda list a spoke torque spec?
No — there was never a factory torque value for these spokes. Tension them by feel and by ear: tap each one and listen for a clear ring, and bring any dull-sounding spokes up to match. That’s also why we don’t sell a spoke torque wrench — there’s no factory number to torque to.
Which end do I use for my bike?
The 5.7 mm end fits CB175 through CB750; the 4.3 mm end fits the smaller CT90, CB100, and CB125 wheels. If you’re between projects, just measure a nipple across the flats.
How often should I check my spokes?
Check them after the first 1,000 miles on a freshly built or bought wheel, then about every 6,000 miles after that. Loose spokes throw uneven load onto the rim and the spokes around them, so it’s worth a quick look whenever you’re in the wheels.
You Might Also Need
- Spoke Set Kit — fresh spokes and nipples when the old ones are rusted or stripped
- Rim Strip — protects the tube from the spoke nipples; replace it any time the tire is off
- Inner Tube — a fresh tube goes in with any wheel or tire work
- Tire Lever & Bead Holder Kit — for pulling the tire when you need to reach the back of the nipples
Last updated: July 2026
