After the motorcycle-riding burglars are taken away, Reed pulls some of "the loot" from the getaway van.
He holds up a box and what looks like a coffee maker, two items that would be nearly impossible to carry on a motorcycle.
He holds up a box and what looks like a coffee maker, two items that would be nearly impossible to carry on a motorcycle.
When the two robbers are caught in the back of the van, they and their bikes are facing toward the back door. Since the van is too narrow for them to turn their bikes around, they would have had to push the motorcycles backward into the van. Because Malloy and Reed were chasing them, they would not have had time to back into the van to get the motorcycles into that position.
Reed announces on the radio that Adam-12 is in pursuit of 459 suspects but doesn't mention motorcycles. When the dispatcher repeats this to the other units he says Adam -12 is in pursuit of motorcycles.
When they are pursuing the van with the motorcycles inside, the footage is sped up to make it appear that the van is speeding. This is evident by the flash rate of the turn signal.
Malloy and Reed had the advantage of surprise outside the grocery store. Malloy should never have risked it by peeking inside the store especially with and dress blue police cap with a big silver LAPD badge affixed to it.
The van the robbers drove with the dirt bikes in the back had no ramp installed and neither was a portable one visible in the back. It is possible the three could have lifted them up but that would take a lot of time for a getaway with police bearing down upon you.