What is does 686 AUTHENTIC mean?

686® has built a long lasting reputation of manufacturing innovative and high quality products. For the past 19 years, we’ve managed to stay ahead of the game by listening to riders, reps, retailers and most importantly, by our extensive history of quality and control. Everything we produce is designed with the end user in mind. From the creative process, to design and development, to testing, and finally manufacturing and delivery, we keep it 100% legit. In addition, Mike West, the president and creative director of 686, personally goes to the factories a few times a year to hand inspect the goods with his quality/control team to further insure you’ll get the best products. Look for the 686® AUTHENTIC tag to make sure your getting our seal of quality approval.  

Why do you need to do this?

686 is the oldest and one of the last remaining rider-owned and independently operated company in the industry. This means that we not only believe in our products, but we the lifestyle surrounding it. Everyone at 686, from the rookie accountant to the president, all ride and take pride in what we do. We do it 100% or don’t do it at all. This means we want YOU to support our quality products that are genuinely AUTHENTIC 686®.  There are counterfeiters and grey marketers (non-authorized dealers) that copy and steal our brand name, designs and ideas.  They misrepresent what we all work hard for so Do NOT support the people that do not support you. If you see something that looks too good to be true (on E-bay, Craig’s List, heavily discounted, at a shop that’s not an authorized 686 dealer), most likely there’s something going on that you shouldn’t support.

When did this all start happening?

Unfortunately, we’ve been dealing with illegal misrepresentation of the 686® brand for many years. It’s a global dilemma that we’ve spent a great deal of time and money trying to combat. It takes a lot of time and effort to copy our products, as our manufacturing process is intense and expensive. We’ve seen some crappy examples in the past, but the imitators are getting more experience every year. A jacket may “look” the same, but it’s all about what you don’t see that’s most important. The waterproofing and breathability may be nothing more than a DWR spray.  The trims (labels, cord, locks, snaps, zippers) may be made of cheap material, while the fabric and stitching may fray or pill after a few uses. This is not a genuine 686 product and we want all of this to stop immediately.   

How do we beat this?

It all starts with you. We need your help to further ensure that we live up to our good name of producing quality products that you can trust. If you find something “suspicious,” hit us up at info@686.com and let us know what you think smells funky. We’ll keep your name private and everything else confidential. Our goal is to wipe out the fools that leech onto something that they never could do themselves.

How do I know I’m getting an AUTHENTIC 686 product?

The only way you can trust that your product is legit is by checking the following.
1) Look for the 686® AUTHENTIC hangtag (some may be colored differently as we have hidden codes and RFID inner tagging)
2) Only buy from an Authorized Dealer .  E-bay, auction sites, illegal 686 websites, and trade boards are NOT authorized dealers. There’s no way to tell what you’re really buying and your 686 Warranty will be void.  We stand by our Warranty Policy, but if we can’t tell where the gear is from, all bets are off.