Fair Value - Summary of Fair Value and Carrying Value of Company Financial Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 28, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019
Fair Value
ASSETS
Finance receivables, net	$ 7,143,575	$ 7,419,627	$ 7,672,939
Liabilities
Deposits	17,996	0	0
Fair Value \| Medium-term notes
Debt
Long-term debt, fair value	4,805,766	4,816,153	4,719,053
Fair Value \| Senior notes
Debt
Long-term debt, fair value	790,355	774,949	756,243
Fair Value \| Asset-backed U.S. commercial paper conduit facilities \| Secured Debt
Debt
Long-term debt, fair value	540,840	490,427	464,136
Fair Value \| Asset-backed Canadian commercial paper conduit facility \| Secured Debt
Debt
Long-term debt, fair value	144,661	114,693	148,740
Fair Value \| Asset-backed securitization debt \| Secured Debt
Debt
Long-term debt, fair value	2,484,956	768,094	1,007,205
Fair Value \| Unsecured commercial paper
Debt
Unsecured commercial paper	1,397,388	571,995	405,695
Fair Value \| Foreign Line of Credit
Debt
Unsecured commercial paper	150,000	0	0
Carrying Value
ASSETS
Finance receivables, net	6,979,991	7,374,366	7,594,405
Liabilities
Deposits	17,996	0	0
Carrying Value \| Medium-term notes
Debt
Long-term debt, fair value	4,784,293	4,760,127	4,687,660
Carrying Value \| Senior notes
Debt
Long-term debt, fair value	743,635	743,296	742,959
Carrying Value \| Asset-backed U.S. commercial paper conduit facilities \| Secured Debt
Debt
Long-term debt, fair value	540,840	490,427	464,136
Carrying Value \| Asset-backed Canadian commercial paper conduit facility \| Secured Debt
Debt
Long-term debt, fair value	144,661	114,693	148,740
Carrying Value \| Asset-backed securitization debt \| Secured Debt
Debt
Long-term debt, fair value	2,461,107	764,392	1,002,869
Carrying Value \| Unsecured commercial paper
Debt
Unsecured commercial paper	1,397,388	571,995	405,695
Carrying Value \| Foreign Line of Credit
Debt
Unsecured commercial paper	$ 150,000	$ 0	$ 0

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_AssetsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value portion of debt instrument payable, including, but not limited to, notes payable and loans payable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121572278&loc=d3e13433-108611

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value portion of deposit liabilities held by the entity, including, but not limited to, foreign and domestic, interest and noninterest bearing, demand deposits, saving deposits, negotiable orders of withdrawal (NOW) and time deposits.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DepositsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LiabilitiesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value portion of an agreement for an unconditional promise by the maker to pay the holder a definite sum of money at a future date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NotesReceivableFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the portion of the balance sheet assertion valued at fair value by the entity whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission. This item represents the amount of short-term debt existing as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShorttermDebtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=hog_AssetBackedU.S.CommercialPaperConduitFacilityVIEMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SecuredDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=hog_AssetBackedCanadianCommercialPaperConduitFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=hog_TermAssetBackedSecuritizationVIEsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_CommercialPaperMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_ForeignLineOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: