Vale Jack Ahearn

One of Australia’s motorcycling heroes, Jack Ahearn, has passed away, aged 92.
Born in 1924 in Sydney, Ahearn started racing as a teenager, returning to motorcycling following a stint in the RAAF at the end of World War II.
Displaying the sort of self-reliance that was common with many Aussies who went overseas to join the “continental circus” of international motorcycling competition in the 1950s and ’60s, Ahearn was as good a mechanic as he was a racer, and would be one of the most successful privateers on the circuit.
In 1954, Ahearn joined Maurie Quincey and Laurie Boulter on 350cc Nortons at that year’s Isle of Man TT and Ulster TT, scoring top ten results on each occasion.
By the 1960s, Ahearn was becoming a recognised name against the likes of Giacomo Agostini and Mike Hailwood in 500cc competition. His international career peaked in 1964 when he won the Finnish 500cc GP and scored podiums at the West German GP and Ulster TT to finish second in that year’s World Championship behind Hailwood. Bear in mind that Ahearn, on a Norton, was still a privateer, while Hailwood had the benefits of a full works MV Agusta and support crew.
Ahearn would compete in the 500cc championship for the next two years, scoring additional podium and top five results before retiring from full-time international competition at the end of the ’66 season. 
He would continue his involvement with the sport as a top-class engine and tuning specialist, especially on British bikes.
Ahearn passed away at his home in Lismore, NSW, on 10 April. He is survived by daughters Vicki and Julia. JUST BIKES extends its sympathies to Ahearn’s family and friends.