Lug nuts for Head: Bad Idea?

I've reached the top end of my rebuild of a '78 KZ1000 LTD, and the head nuts—which are chromed—are pitted and ugly, which I didn't really notice before the rest of the engine was all clean and pretty. Replacement sets from Z1 Enterprises and other sources are pretty dear, whereas ATV lug nuts of the same size and thread are relatively cheap. I'm worried that, since the lugnuts are machined to seat inside the holes on wheels, they won't have a big enough mating surface against the washers on the head. Should I bite the bullet and pay a hundred bucks (!) for 12 nuts, go ahead and use a set of lugnuts, or perhaps does anyone know a source for 10mx1.25 high-domed nuts for a reasonable price?

As always, thanks in advance.

Sounds like a bad idea to me, now isn't the time to cheap out. Bite the bullet, $100 bucks is pocket change.

Bad idea on lugnuts

I'm using some stock ones I bought from eBay. With what I had I came up with a decent set. I;ll get the good ones when I can but for now they work great.
Steve
 

Some stainless steel head nuts.

classicbikefasteners.co.uk/collections/a...washer-set-92015-076

w w w.ebay.co.uk/itm/392235329121

 

Those are like friggin' jewelry! I'll search for something similar stateside, as I suspect 85 quid plus international shipping would add up to a whole bunch of USD.

Seems like everybody's confirming my suspicions about lug nuts being a bad idea—the price tag almost got me to convince myself otherwise.

So...anybody got some "pocket change" to spare?

The head stud nuts are usually made from stainless steel...high nickel content.  They can almost always be cleaned up with a wire brush enough to look presentable.  Look around on ebay for a set that look to be in decent shape if your own are too badly corroded.  If you're anal about having originals...there is a difference in new ones compared to old ones.  Check the way they are severed on the top nowadays compared to originals.

I'm definitely not striving for a period-correct resto, but I do want it to look good—without comporomising functionality.

I just need to get past my miserly tendencies and embrace the idea that the right set of new nuts could really dress up the engine. And in that vein, given that I've got vapor honed cases and head, a black painted cylinder block with sanded fins, and polished aluminum covers, does anybody want to weight in on stainless versus black head nuts?

If i was you, i would bite the bullet. They are also available in early Z1 head nut style.
This set is 20 British Pounds cheaper.

www.legendmotorcycles.com/

w w w.ebay.co.uk/itm/114286618817?hash=item1a9c0368c1:g:m-wAAOSwLt5e8hEi

 

92015-076 

An original set.  PM if interested  

 

At some point I bought a set, but somehow I've acquired a couple of sets of originals that I returned to past condition.  The photo below shows one new one (OEM) on the left and one old one (OEM) on the right.  There are a couple of visible differences.  Look at the top of them.  The shearing process is different.  Now look at the body.  The overall length is the same but the shoulder section on the new one doesn't rise as far up as the old one.

 

Black ones, $68:  kzzone.com/studs.html
If you don't mind black...