The Smurfer: Can’t Choose Your Own Nickname

Photos by Theresa and Sedrick C. Mitchell

A good nickname is cool because it’s a name that was given to a person by someone else for a million different reasons, from doing something incredible to wearing mismatched clothing. If a nickname fits a person well, it might become the only name a person answers to, and sometimes other people won’t know their real names. Which can be a good thing if it’s a tough sounding nickname like “Repo” or “Scruffy,” but sometimes they can be sarcastic like “Turbo” or “Italian Stallion.” But it is possible to overcome a bad nickname by embracing it and making people think there’s another meaning behind it or possibly an interesting story. And if there’s not an interesting story, a person can act mysterious about it and make people think there is. Friends and family gave Keith “Smurf” Cummings, the owner of this bike, his nickname. “My mom used to call me Pappy. When the Smurf cartoon show came out on TV, one of my friends thought I looked like one because I’ve got round features, I’m not that tall, and I’ve got a beard. My friends started calling me ‘Pappy Smurf’ which eventually turned into ‘Papa Smurf.’ I’ve had the nickname forever; most people just call me ‘Smurf’ for short,” Keith said. Apparently, he has completely embraced the name as evidenced by all the Smurf graphics all over the bike. It didn’t start out that way, though, according to Colby Craddock, the service manager of Anaheim/Fullerton Harley-Davidson in Southern California. “Keith came in with a bone-stock ’03 FLTRI and consulted with me about how he wanted it modified. I also helped him pick parts that would work best for how he wanted to ride it. Matt Cortez, our lead technician, actually did all the work on the bike,” Colby said.

Hopping up the motor on a bike first is usually the best idea if any exterior modifications are going to be made later. There’s less risk of damaging the paint job while tossing heavy engine parts around like cylinders and heads. “After I ordered the parts, the first thing Matt did was tear down the top-end of the bike. Then he installed a Zippers 107” kit, plus a bunch of other performance mods,” Colby said. Originally an 88” TC motor, Matt filled the larger Zipper’s jugs with Wiseco pistons under Zippers-modified Twin Cam heads. He replaced the H-D throttle body with a Zippers EFI intake and switched the exhaust system for a two-into-one Thunderheader. The stock cams were swapped out for a pair of Redshift 657PC cams, and the ignition and air cleaner were upgraded to Screamin’ Eagle parts. Next, Matt exchanged the 5-speed trans for a Screamin’ Eagle 6-speed and upgraded the clutch to a Primo/Rivera Super Clutch that, in Colby’s experience, works best with hopped up motors. “We threw the bike on our dyno after making the modifications and it put out around 115hp and 117ft-lbs of torque,” Colby said. Check Harley’s website for stock performance ratings, but Anaheim-Fullerton H-D made vast performance augmentations that must have put a smile on Keith’s face.

Once the engine alterations were finalized, Keith brought in some new wheels for his bike. The CLK Enterprises wheels measure 21” tall in the front and 18” in the back with Metzeler rubber at both ends. Mounted on the front wheel hub are a pair of floating rotors with carriers that match the wheels and work with dual Performance Machine 6-piston calipers for the ultimate in deceleration capability. The rear wheel received a matching pulley and rotor, but they retained the original rear caliper because it is hidden behind the bags.

After making a few changes to the bike, like a set of custom handlebars and minor changes to the front fender to fit the 21” wheel, Keith brought the fairing, bags, covers, and sheet metal to Danny Martinez Custom Paint for a new color. The bike was stripped down to the primer and re-painted candy black cherry with what Keith describes as “gangsta Smurf graphics” in an assortment of scenes with Papa Smurf and Smurfette posing lewdly on the saddlebags, tour pak, front fender, and fairing. Following the paint, he brought the bike to Jerry Van Amburg Exotic Skins for a stingray and hippopotamus (that’s not a typo) skin seat that is what Keith describes as “comfortable as it is good looking.” He finished the bike by adding a powerful Kenwood head unit to replace the stock sound system, plus he added another six speakers and an Alpine amplifier.

For such an extensive makeover, it’s surprising that Keith was able to get it all taken care of in four months. But then Keith rides more often than most people and while it was in the shop it was like torture to him. Since he got the bike back about a year ago, Keith’s ridden it to Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, and more. Keith loves the way the bike turned out so much it’s almost like a family member to him. “It’s my baby,” Keith said.