I just picked up a couple of new tool kits and I thought I would share.

The first one is a late model replacement kit fro a 1960's Honda CA95, CB92, CA160




The Second Kit is probably not NOS, but is for a 1965-1967 Honda Black Bomber.

The Black Bomber 450 was quite a sensation for a short time, eclipsed by the CB750.

Now that you guys have introduced me to HM wrenches, why are some marked RK and some marked RK A?

Supposedly RK is for repair kit, the early DOE wrenches have an A mark and it has been determined that it was the first run of DOE wrenches or the first DIE or Mold mark.  For Doe wrenches marked with an A seem to stop in 1972 and a switch was made to just RK.  I have been unable to get a response from Kowa, the tool manufacturer on this subject. 

Thanks,
Kirk

Quote from: Hm Wrench on June 12, 2011, 12:13:41 PM
Supposedly RK is for repair kit, the early DOE wrenches have an A mark and it has been determined that it was the first run of DOE wrenches or the first DIE or Mold mark.  For Doe wrenches marked with an A seem to stop in 1972 and a switch was made to just RK.  I have been unable to get a response from Kowa, the tool manufacturer on this subject. 

Thanks,
Kirk

Thanks for the quick reply. Now I have to go dig mine out. For some reason I remember the "R" and "RK" being slightly different than your pictures.

Post some of photos if you can, I have over 150 honda wrenches.  So I should be able to help decipher whatever you have.

Thanks,
Kirk

I am more of a 305 guy Papaw, but i sure would not turn one down if the price is right and amazingly a lot of parts interchange or are close to the 305 superhawk.

Have you ever worked on the DOHC 450? Torsion rods instead of valve springs, and a cam chain travel that would bewilder most people!

Quote from: Hm Wrench on June 12, 2011, 06:04:34 PM
Post some of photos if you can, I have over 150 honda wrenches.  So I should be able to help decipher whatever you have.

Thanks,
Kirk

Kirk

I don't know if your post was for me or Papaw. All my wrenches are tucked away in some unknown place. Do these wrenches have date codes?

12mm x 8mm (HM Circle) / RK A (1L1)
19mm x 17mm (HM Circle) / RK A (2E6)

Thanks
Ed

I have at this time not been able to get date codes from the manufacturer.  DOE wrenches with A are considered to be from tools manufactured between 1961-1972.

Thanks,
Kirk

Quote from: Hm Wrench on June 13, 2011, 10:11:20 PM
I have at this time not been able to get date codes from the manufacturer.  DOE wrenches with A are considered to be from tools manufactured between 1961-1972.

Thanks,
Kirk

If only it was this easy:

1L1 = 1 November 1961 or 1961 November 1
2E6 = 2 May 1966 or 1962 May 6

Unfortunately, the 8x12 wrench was not introduced until 1968.  Which is ironic because I thought i was two wrenches short from cb450 kit a 9mm and 8x12 doe.  Turns out the photo of the cb450 has an extra 8x12 that was added in 1968.

Thanks,
Kirk

Never have worked on cb450, hopefully someday I have a feeling I will be in for a lot of surprises.

Thanks,
Kirk

Quote from: Hm Wrench on June 12, 2011, 06:04:34 PM
Post some of photos if you can, I have over 150 honda wrenches.  So I should be able to help decipher whatever you have.

Thanks,
Kirk

Kirk,
I went looking for the RA and R wrenches and only found the RA. They are exactly the same as your pictures. I found some KOWA which have the HM oval. I have them inventoried under KOWA not HM. What do they fit?
KOWA         K 19   Flat Box – Metric – (HM)
         T   5   17mm x 19mm – (HM)
         T   9   10mm x 14mm – (HM)
           Y  4   12mm x 8mm – (HM)
Thanks for your help.

The flat box 19mm was introduced in 1976 and still in use in new tool kits.   The early kits that used it were the cb400T,Mr175 and the cj360T motorcycles.  8x12, 10x14, 17x19 are three wrenches that are from the standard kit of a 68-71 cb350, 69-71 cb750 etc.  there is some overlap in tool kits between 1971-1972 and what came in the bike.  So your three wrenches would be good until 1972 on those models.  The 10x14 and 17x19 would be correct for almost all  Honda motorcycles above 150cc from 1961-1967.  As these two wrenches were standard issue for almost all the larger bikes.


Thanks,
Kirk