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Kawboy wrote: So, why wouldn't you just buy the blank from eBay and have it cut to what you need?

I wanted my key to look original too. However, that eBay item with the black grip and white lettering would have been good enough I suppose.

I couldn't find a genuine secondhand key with the number I needed so I bought a used ignition lock with original key. So now my ignition is on a different key to all other locks on my bike. My original ignition also had an issue where the keys could be taken out in any position so probably for the best really. I always worried they would come out at high speed so I had a clip on lanyard that tied them to the handlebars when in use!

Probably best not to publish the key number you need either - but we are all friends in here

Ahhhhh, It's all in the small details. I had to copy the pics and open them up in Photoshop to enlarge and see that the original has a recess where the "Kawasaki" is embossed and the EBay replica does not. Kudos to you for picking up on that.

So, a little known secret that I learned years ago at a Kawasaki dealership-
I wanted a new cam chain tensioner gear for my beast and wondered if maybe, possibly, the local dealership had one laying around in stock. Who knows, if you don't ask ..... They looked it up and the part number was still valid but no, they did not have one. Then they checked to see if they could order it from the warehouse and no, the warehouse did not have it either. So I thought that was it, out of luck. Then the parts manager said " Let's see if I can order it from Kawasaki Japan." Sure enough it was still available. I ordered 2 thinking if it had to come from Japan, I may as well get one for the bike and a spare for future. 3 weeks later, I have 2 tensioner gears.

Bottom line here- It maybe possible that some part items you need are sitting collecting dust at Kawasaki Japan and if you're willing to wait for it, Yee shall receive. You just need to nudge your local dealership to query for parts from Kawasaki Japan and maybe you get lucky. In this case, it may be possible to order key # 5245 and have the original key with the engraved number on it and that would be sweet now wouldn't it?
My 2 cents which no longer exists in Canada anymore. We'll have to come up with an alternative saying or maybe the government will adopt a 2 cent coin for Canada. Lord knows we can print up a new rendition for a Canadian bill to "celebrate" some other political idiot. Why not make us a 2 cent coin so the phase has some meaning. It would be 1/100th of one of our Toonies, which first came out in 1995 and there are now 18 renditions of it celebrating everything from Elizabeth II to the current Toonie which celebrates the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.

KB.

Thanks KB. I have tried my nearest kawasaki dealer, they searched the parts vault, but sadly none to be had. They didn't offer trying japan... I shall ask them to give it a shot.
In the meantime, I am going to do some experimenting with casting resin.