Supplemental Consolidating Data - Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 28, 2020	Mar. 29, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Jun. 28, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019
Revenue:
Total revenue	$ 865,227		$ 1,632,619		$ 2,163,471	$ 3,016,999
Costs and expenses:
Motorcycles and Related Products cost of goods sold	561,646		979,266		1,342,514	1,827,464
Financial Services interest expense	62,187		52,673		114,660	104,997
Provision for credit losses	91,179		26,383		170,598	60,874
Selling, administrative and engineering expense	224,365		307,617		502,336	576,242
Restructuring expense	41,949		10,423		41,949	24,053
Total costs and expenses	981,326		1,376,362		2,172,057	2,593,630
Operating (loss) income	(116,099)		256,257		(8,586)	423,369
Other income, net	156		4,037		311	8,697
Investment income	5,757		3,571		410	9,929
Interest expense	7,769		7,784		15,524	15,515
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes	(117,955)		256,081		(23,389)	426,480
Income tax (benefit) provision	(25,738)		60,450		(867)	102,904
Net (loss) income	(92,217)	$ 69,695	195,631	$ 127,945	(22,522)	323,576
Reportable Legal Entities | HDMC Entities
Revenue:
Total revenue	670,905		1,439,685
Costs and expenses:
Motorcycles and Related Products cost of goods sold	561,646		978,761
Financial Services interest expense	0		0
Provision for credit losses	0		0		0	0
Selling, administrative and engineering expense	190,300		267,777
Restructuring expense	41,005		10,423
Total costs and expenses	792,951		1,256,961
Operating (loss) income	(122,046)		182,724
Other income, net	156		4,037
Investment income	5,757		48,571
Interest expense	7,769		7,784
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes	(123,902)		227,548
Income tax (benefit) provision	(26,938)		43,348
Net (loss) income	(96,964)		184,200		55,462	313,614
Reportable Legal Entities | HDFS Entities
Revenue:
Total revenue	194,872		196,197
Costs and expenses:
Motorcycles and Related Products cost of goods sold	0		0
Financial Services interest expense	62,187		52,673
Provision for credit losses	91,179		26,383		170,598	60,874
Selling, administrative and engineering expense	34,690		43,586
Restructuring expense	944		0
Total costs and expenses	189,000		122,642
Operating (loss) income	5,872		73,555
Other income, net	0		0
Investment income	0		0
Interest expense	0		0
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes	5,872		73,555
Income tax (benefit) provision	1,200		17,102
Net (loss) income	4,672		56,453		21,627	99,906
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenue:
Total revenue	(550)		(3,263)		(1,450)	(5,645)
Costs and expenses:
Motorcycles and Related Products cost of goods sold	0		505		0	0
Financial Services interest expense	0		0		0	0
Provision for credit losses	0		0		0	0
Selling, administrative and engineering expense	(625)		(3,746)		(1,839)	(5,701)
Restructuring expense	0		0		0	0
Total costs and expenses	(625)		(3,241)		(1,839)	(5,701)
Operating (loss) income	75		(22)		389	56
Other income, net	0		0		0	0
Investment income	0		(45,000)		(100,000)	(90,000)
Interest expense	0		0			0
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes	75		(45,022)		(99,611)	(89,944)
Income tax (benefit) provision	0		0		0	0
Net (loss) income	75		(45,022)		(99,611)	(89,944)
HDMC Entities | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Total revenue					1,774,163	2,639,694
Costs and expenses:
Motorcycles and Related Products cost of goods sold					1,342,514	1,827,464
Financial Services interest expense					0	0
Provision for credit losses					0	0
Selling, administrative and engineering expense					428,046	495,769
Restructuring expense					41,005	24,053
Total costs and expenses					1,811,565	2,347,286
Operating (loss) income					(37,402)	292,408
Other income, net					311	8,697
Investment income					100,410	99,929
Interest expense					15,524	15,515
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes					47,795	385,519
Income tax (benefit) provision					(7,667)	71,905
Net (loss) income					55,462	313,614
HDFS Entities | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Total revenue					390,758	382,950
Costs and expenses:
Motorcycles and Related Products cost of goods sold					0	0
Financial Services interest expense					114,660	104,997
Provision for credit losses					170,598	60,874
Selling, administrative and engineering expense					76,129	86,174
Restructuring expense					944	0
Total costs and expenses					362,331	252,045
Operating (loss) income					28,427	130,905
Other income, net					0	0
Investment income					0	0
Interest expense					0	0
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes					28,427	130,905
Income tax (benefit) provision					6,800	30,999
Net (loss) income					21,627	99,906
Motorcycles and Related Products
Revenue:
Motorcycles and Related Products	669,274		1,434,004		1,769,062	2,629,641
Motorcycles and Related Products | Reportable Legal Entities | HDMC Entities
Revenue:
Motorcycles and Related Products	670,905		1,439,685
Motorcycles and Related Products | Reportable Legal Entities | HDFS Entities
Revenue:
Motorcycles and Related Products	0		0
Motorcycles and Related Products | Consolidating Adjustments
Revenue:
Motorcycles and Related Products	(1,631)		(5,681)		(5,101)	(10,053)
Motorcycles and Related Products | HDMC Entities | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Motorcycles and Related Products					1,774,163	2,639,694
Motorcycles and Related Products | HDFS Entities | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Motorcycles and Related Products					0	0
Financial Services
Revenue:
Financial Services	195,953		198,615		394,409	387,358
Financial Services | Reportable Legal Entities | HDMC Entities
Revenue:
Financial Services	0		0
Financial Services | Reportable Legal Entities | HDFS Entities
Revenue:
Financial Services	194,872		196,197
Financial Services | Consolidating Adjustments
Revenue:
Financial Services	$ 1,081		$ 2,418		3,651	4,408
Financial Services | HDMC Entities | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Financial Services					0	0
Financial Services | HDFS Entities | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenue:
Financial Services					$ 390,758	$ 382,950