I have several friends that have toppled a bike over on various types of lifts and it is not pretty.
One guy toppled over while sitting on the bike and got pinned between the wall and the bike.
Fortunately he had a cell phone to call out for help. (he will never live that phone call down)
Weird stuff can happen even with all the right pieces in play. Someone who we won't mention to avoid embarassment was in my shop about 2:00 AM just a couple weekends ago and had a "moment." This guy, being the careful soul that he is, always uses straps with a bike on his lift. Even with the good lifting and capturing front wheel chock. Just to be safe. Always a rear strap on each side.
Well.... this guy had just finished some regular service on
my old Road Glide some bike and was ready to bring the bike down off the lift. He unhooked the left strap and, at two freaking AM, the phone rang in his pocket. It was a female type person. So he was ok with it. But he was distracted. So he climbs on the bike, pops it in neutral and pulls it out of the front wheel chock.
Being one of those lifting and holding type stands the bike comes down a bit and starts to roll downhill. To clear the stand the rear wheel starts rolling down the rear ramp. And then the whole world turns a little sideways. Because our idiot here, being distracted, forgot to take off the right side strap. Ooops.
Back wheel spun on the smooth rear ramp so
I he couldn't drive the bike in to the wheel chock. Bike was leaning pretty good so he couldn't get the kickstand down. And even if he could it probably wouldn't have helped.
I He was screwed!
Fortunately fat boys can be flexible. No way to reach the strap assembly and release down below bike level. But with the handy dandy ready pocket knife blade could just barely reach the strap itself where it reached the rear crash bar. This guy was an idiot. But his lift was strong enough to hold the extra weight and forces as he tried to drive the bike out of trouble!