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Article By: GTP
Photos By: Chris Callen
Originally Published In The October 2018 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine
Kevin “Teach” Baas has been into Knuckleheads long before they became motorcycle gold. He still recalls when you could buy a complete Knuck motor with a title for around $2500…those days are long past. Fortunately, Kevin has been collecting the whole time. When he decided he needed another beater, he turned to his parts stash (something that gets drooled over on a regular basis) and cobbled together this little Seafoam Green runner. Unlike many people who are into vintage bikes, Teach rides his to the point of beating them… sending the purists heads spinning. If not for Kevin, you may never have seen any old iron sliding across a dirt paddock or wheel up at a drag strip. Kevin rides those old bikes like they used to be ridden back before they became an unobtainable possession for the very rich. As with most of his projects, he used this one as a learning tool for his Chopper Class with Mr. Baas which has gained so much press over the years. He started with a ’39 pre-war EL Knucklehead motor that has been stroked with 80” fl athead wheels stuffed into a fragile short ribbed case. This whole assembly was hung into a ’39 frame along with a ’40 four-speed tranny. A ’47 offset springer that was a spare for his other Knuck, ‘Elvis”, was used on “Tetanus.”
The front wheel is an 18” with a stepped star hub and a drum brake, while out back is a 16” with a normal star hub and drum brake which applies the “whoa.” A set-off Helling & Stellings handlebars were used for that racy feel. They were mounted on a set of short 2” risers. When it came to the sheet metal, he stumbled on a set of original paint ’48 Panhead 3.5 gallon tanks with a shift gate hand shifter attached. The rear fender was in the passion of someone that was eyeing Kevins green tanks. When Kevin refused to sell them, he mounted them and sent the guy a picture. Kevin said the guy then offered the rear fender for a decent price. The pogo mounted ‘clown car” buddy seat was something that Kevin had laying around for a while, so he decided to use it on this build. It has been since removed, but it really brought out the striped racer feel while it was on. The purists yell and shake their heads when Kevin is out thrashing this ol’ Knuck like it was meant to be thrashed when it came off the assembly line. He’s not one for blister pack restorations or bikes that were built to only be looked at from afar. His bikes are dirty, used and scratched and never babied like so many of the earlier iron. Kevin has no interest in bikes that are built to be viewed statically surrounded by velvet ropes and soft whispers. Instead, he would rather kick up some dirt, fry a tire or two and just have fun, real-world fun not collector fun. So, the next time you see some perfect specimen getting loaded and vacuum sealed in the back of a truck ask if the owner ever rings the snot out of it. When he explains that this bike is far too expensive to be ridden, remember there are still guys out there that REALLY enjoy their vintage iron….just like Kevin “Teach” Baas. “GTP”
Tetanus Tech Sheet
Owner: Kevin “Teach” Baas
City/State: Prior Lake, MN
Fab. By: Kevin “Teach” Baas
Year: 1939
Model: EL
Value: Make An Off er
Time: 15 Years
Engine
Year: 1939
Model: EL – Stroked
Builder: WingNut
Ignition: Stock Points
Displacement: 80” Stroker
Pistons: S&S
Heads: Harley-Davidson
Carb: Linkert M74-B
Cam: Leineweber 2S
Air Cleaner: Iron Craft
Exhaust: Harley W/ Buco Tip
Primary: Stock
Transmission
Year: 1947
Make: Harley-Davidson
Shifting: Tank Shift
Frame
Year: 1939
Make: Stock
Rake: 25 Degrees -Stock
Stretch: Stock
Forks
Type: Harley-Davidson
Builder: 1947 Off set Springer
Extension: None
Triple Trees: Hellings & Stellings
Wheels, Tires, Brakes
Front Wheel: Harley-Davidson
Size: 18”
Front Tire: Allstate Dirtman
Front Brake: Harley Drum
Rear Wheel: Harley-Davidson
Size: 16”
Rear Tire: Allstate
Rear Brake: Drum
Painting
Painter: Unknown
Color: Seafoam & Rust
Type: Old
Graphics: Stock Speedball Emblems
Molding: None
Chroming: Rusted
Accessories
Bars: Hellings & Stellings #11
Risers: Hellings & Stellings 2.0
Hand Controls: Stock Spirals
Fuel Tanks: 1948 Harley-Davidson
Front Fender: Lost
Rear Fender: Old Panhead Bobbed
Seat: Ratty
Foot Controls: Harley-Davidson
Oil Tank: 1947 Harley-Davidson
Headlight: Ebay fi nd
Taillight: Swap Meet fi nd
Speedo: None
Photographer: Chris Callen