Yeah, i checked it out at the kawasaki site and I just double checked it using that method and it sure is a 96. I suspected that it was because of the purple tank and the only pictures I could find of a K5 with a purple tank were 96's. Sure pisses me off though. I had researched alot about the differences between years and decided that I wanted a 97 or knewer due to the heavier sprung forks after 97. The bike shop had this thing for sale as a 97 so they had me thinking I was buying a one year newer bike. Oh well. Too late now. I figure I'll do some business with Race Tech in the future and the suspension will be as good as anything I would need anyways. Thanks for the help guys!
-G