The Remarkable Mr. Kevin “Teach” Baas of the Famous Chopper Class in the Midwest of Minnesota
At the HQ with Kevin Teach Baas
“You need a nickname, and it’s going to be Teach.”
So said someone at an early Rockingham Smokeout after learning Kevin Baas was probably the first high school shop teacher to offer an actual chopper class to his students. And that’s how “Teach” has been known in the motorcycle world ever since.
Kevin Teach Baas
That was nearly 20 years ago and early in his career. While he was doing well then, Teach is truly in a wonderful place now. He loves his three boys: Braiden, Gavin, and Mason, his wife Amy, and the family life they’ve built together.
He loves his work, his students, where and how he lives, and of course motorcycling and all that entails. Teach’s life is an excellent example of how well you can do when you stay tuned into your likes (and dislikes) and follow not only your passion but your instincts as well.
You need only look to Teach’s parents, Darlene and Ken, to see how motorcycling came so naturally to him. Ken started riding as a kid and had a pre-war Knucklehead by the time he was 14. When he went to fight in Vietnam, he mail-ordered motorcycle parts that were delivered to his dad Milton (Teach’s granddad) back home.
Milton would take photos of the small pieces right up to the springer front end and send them to Vietnam to show what had arrived. Now in his 70s, Ken still rides his 1952 Panhead, a ’64 Police special with a sidecar, and even the long Shovelhead chopper he built with those parts that were waiting for him when he got back from the war.
Darlene (also in her 70s) still rides her old Ironhead Sportster and a 1977 Superglide fitted with a sidecar.
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About Michael Lichter
In 1977, after a stint simultaneously playing drums in a BeBop jazz band, bussing tables in a restaurant and doing personal photography, Michael decided he was a better photographer than a drummer and hung up the sticks. It was during this time that he started riding his 1971 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead (which he still owns) and photographing bikers.
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