Hi KJB, it's nickel plating.
I didn't buy a kit, I bought a tupperware 8" x 6" x 6", white vinegar and some pure nickel to use as the anode.
The power source is an old phone charger. you'll also need some salt.
Here's a link to the video on youtube that I found to be very useful
It's very easy and very straight forward.

My $.02, for what it's worth...

Original. There's a saying in the vehicle restoration & collecting worlds; "it's only original once".

As far as I'm concerned once one has removed the original plating/markings of a fastener, it's no longer original. And in my experience, cad plating at home can be tricky (to get the original finish matched, durability, overall quality). Nothing against KDI, Motodad, 2FastMoto, DCVMX, etc., I'm really glad they go to the effort to offer what they do. But original they're not. Rubber bits deteriorate, even from just sitting on a shelf (for decades), so sometimes no choice.

And yes, Yamaha offers some OEM replacements but sadly I see a lot of black phosphor coatings on their new fasteners instead of the original cadmium plating. Not the same, at all. I recently replaced some lower fork pinch bolts that were *almost * correct, but the originals had smooth non-marked heads and the new OEM bolts have dished heads with a "7" marking. Not original. Do they work and look better than the crusty stuff they replaced? Yup. Another example; engine mounting bolts/nuts that were originally yellow cad plated, new OEM are black phosphor bolts/plain zinc nuts.

Getting a 40-50 year old motorcycle or car back to "original" condition can be a fun venture, but it can have it's challenges.

First off, IMHO, there's no wrong way to enjoy one's hobby of vintage motorbikes. Fun is where we find it.

In my case...

Here a month or so ago the wife purchased an AT-3. It runs great, only had 2242 miles on the ticker BUT... it was quite "crusty" when you really started looking at it. Lots of little pitting issues here and there... most of the bolts and such were also pitted. I told her I'd clean it up and asked her how important it was to retain originality. She said "not very". SO it was my call.

Decision time: I wanted to make it look the best it could look for Wild Child (wife)... BUT... I felt it important to retain as much originality as possible. (Aside from tires, handle bars, and grips, the little bike was essentially 100% original) I ended up doing a lot of wire brushing on the bench grinder, using a lot of Happich Semi-Chrome, rubbing compound, Turtle Wax chrome cleaner, etc, etc. I only ended up repainting three parts: The tail light bracket, the chain guard, and the exhaust pipe. Fortunately, much of the chrome cleaned up nicely. (Headlight ring, rims, etc.) I also replaced the very low rise handle bars with replica bars.

Those efforts really livened it up and now it looks pretty nice from 10' or so. Up close, you can start spotting the tiny pit marks on the blue painted items. Wild Child was thrilled with the difference. (I made several bonus points with her!)

Here's a pic of Wild Child with her "Lil' Blue" from one of our vinduro "tiddler" dual sport rides we were on a couple weeks ago. It was quite dusty, so both bikes (mine is a '72 DKW GS125) are quite dusty.



Anyway, she likes her AT-3 a LOT (as to riding it, as well as cosmetically), and I'm satisfied that it's very close to original. Win-win.

SO, over the decades I've messed with vinduro bikes, I've learned that I try to retain as much originality as I'm comfortable with. However, when they're really "bad"... well... I have done frame ups then... and I'm probably going to do that with the sad looking last of my vinduro's waiting its turn to get refurbished and running: A school bus yellow '73 CZ 175 Trail.

They're only original once.

V-man

Thanks for that info Pete.....

Thanks for the reply …...all good interesting stuff....

The underlying shiny component of decorative chrome is nickel.

Traditionally, first layer is copper plate... can be used to fill in minor imperfections... then nickel... then chrome which is actually close to the color of nickel... maybe a little more bluish.

mark, not to change the subject too much but i have a 1975 400 and i took head and jug off it seeing the numbers on top of piston i hope you can tell me what i have.... it reads with what looks like digitally printed this... on outer cir 7205L. in center it reads...232M08550. perhaps you or someone can tell me whats i gots!

85.5mm Wiseco piston

so this means that it has been boared out ? and there is slop in wrist pin and big end but seems slight. should i have basically no movement at all? can actually twist piston very slightly in bore.

Funny you mention the copper and chrome.
The only copper pre plating i have come across on the CT3 is the lever perch pivot bolts.