TREVELEN AND SUPERCO . . . . GONE . . . . . .???? . . . . . DEFINITELY NOT FORGOTTEN . . . . IN MY OPINION, ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE "BIKER BUILD OFF" CIRCUS WHO ACTUALLY HAD A FIRM GRIP ON TURNING OUT RIDES WITH PERPETUALLY ENDURING STYLE, . . . . AMIDST A SEA OF FUGLY, HIS BIKES WERE NOTHIN BUT CLASSIC CHOPPER . . . .

I KNOW IT'S ALL OUT PERSONAL TASTE AND PERCEPTION BUT THAT'S MY CALL . . . . WITH VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE CUSTOM BIKES THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME AND ONGOING CRITICAL ACCLAIM ARE NOT THE HIGH END, MEGABUCK, SQUINT AND BLING JOBS, BUT RATHER, THOSE BASED ON DOING THE SIMPLE THINGS WELL AND SHOWING RESPECT FOR THE CLASSIC ELEMENTS FROM THE PAST . . . .

Trevelen's Build Off efforts always stood apart from the majority of the show's other contestants, along with Indian Larry, Cole Foster, Chica, Shinya and a few others, proudly tipping his hat to the era that was his inspiration and key influence . . . . . I ain't sledging the quality of workmanship and attendant skills of the others, merely suggesting that a huge chunk of their collective output will forever be tied to a very small window in time and styling cues, ultimately 'dating' the bikes almost by the relevant episodes conclusion . . . .

Surely the true 'test' of any piece of design, whether that be a car, a bike, a watch, a camera, a boot, a what fucking ever, is that it maintains a lasting aesthetic quality in combination with its ability to do its intended job with total functionality and ease of maintenence ???? Just because a bike is built to enter a show or contest, should that dictate all sense of purpose and practicality be abandoned to the point where all you end up with is slightly mobile, post modernist, mechanical sculpture . . . ???

Now, I've not read or heard too much of what this bad boy made good has been up to in the last couple of years, I suspect that like many of those who became involved with and caught up in the T.V bike wars of the last decade, the economy has slowed down, money has tightened up and customers might not be bangin on his door with the frequency of six years ago . . . . I had read somewhere a while ago he had stopped building and done a "Rodriguez" and just vanished . . . . [and I wonder ??] . . . . whatever it is, I don't give a fuck, I just wish him well for the future and I'll continue to get great delight and joy out of every time I lay my eyes on one of his God damn gorgeous, timeless bikes . . . . .

***** CLICK ON LINK TO TAKE A LOOK AT ONE OF SENOR RABANAL'S STUNNING PRODUCTIONS . . .