Supplemental Consolidating Data - Operations (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Revenue:
Total revenue	$ 4,054,377,000	$ 5,361,789,000	$ 5,716,875,000
Costs and expenses:
Motorcycles and Related Products cost of goods sold	2,435,745,000	3,229,798,000	3,351,796,000
Financial Services interest expense	246,447,000	210,438,000	193,187,000
Financial Services provision for credit losses	181,870,000	134,536,000	106,870,000
Selling, administrative and engineering expense	1,050,627,000	1,199,056,000	1,258,098,000
Restructuring expense	130,009,000	32,353,000	93,401,000
Total costs and expenses	4,044,698,000	4,806,181,000	5,003,352,000
Operating income	9,679,000	555,608,000	713,523,000
Other (expense) income, net	(1,848,000)	16,514,000	3,039,000
Investment income	7,560,000	16,371,000	951,000
Interest expense	31,121,000	31,078,000	30,884,000
(Loss) income before income taxes	(15,730,000)	557,415,000	686,629,000
Income tax (benefit) provision	(17,028,000)	133,780,000	155,178,000
Net income	1,298,000	423,635,000	531,451,000
Reportable Legal Entities | HDMC Entities
Revenue:
Total revenue	3,279,407,000
Costs and expenses:
Motorcycles and Related Products cost of goods sold	2,435,745,000
Financial Services interest expense	0
Financial Services provision for credit losses	0
Selling, administrative and engineering expense	907,257,000
Restructuring expense	119,110,000
Total costs and expenses	3,462,112,000
Operating income	(182,705,000)
Other (expense) income, net	(1,848,000)
Investment income	107,560,000
Interest expense	31,121,000
(Loss) income before income taxes	(108,114,000)
Income tax (benefit) provision	(59,231,000)
Net income	(48,883,000)
Reportable Legal Entities | HDFS Entities
Revenue:
Total revenue	783,421,000
Costs and expenses:
Motorcycles and Related Products cost of goods sold	0
Financial Services interest expense	246,447,000
Financial Services provision for credit losses	181,870,000
Selling, administrative and engineering expense	152,258,000
Restructuring expense	10,899,000
Total costs and expenses	591,474,000
Operating income	191,947,000
Other (expense) income, net	0
Investment income	0
Interest expense	0
(Loss) income before income taxes	191,947,000
Income tax (benefit) provision	42,203,000
Net income	149,744,000
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenue:
Total revenue	(8,451,000)
Costs and expenses:
Motorcycles and Related Products cost of goods sold	0
Financial Services interest expense	0
Financial Services provision for credit losses	0
Selling, administrative and engineering expense	(8,888,000)
Restructuring expense	0
Total costs and expenses	(8,888,000)
Operating income	437,000
Other (expense) income, net	0
Investment income	(100,000,000)
Interest expense	0
(Loss) income before income taxes	(99,563,000)
Income tax (benefit) provision	0
Net income	(99,563,000)
Motorcycles and Related Products
Revenue:
Motorcycles and Related Products	3,264,054,000	4,572,678,000	4,968,646,000
Motorcycles and Related Products | Reportable Legal Entities | HDMC Entities
Revenue:
Motorcycles and Related Products	3,279,407,000
Motorcycles and Related Products | Reportable Legal Entities | HDFS Entities
Revenue:
Motorcycles and Related Products	0
Motorcycles and Related Products | Consolidating Adjustments
Revenue:
Motorcycles and Related Products	(15,353,000)
Financial Service
Revenue:
Financial Services	790,323,000	789,111,000	748,229,000
Financial Service | Reportable Legal Entities | HDMC Entities
Revenue:
Financial Services	0
Financial Service | Reportable Legal Entities | HDFS Entities
Revenue:
Financial Services	783,421,000
Financial Service | Consolidating Adjustments
Revenue:
Financial Services	6,902,000
Motorcycles And Related Products
Revenue:
Motorcycles and Related Products	3,264,054,000	4,572,678,000	4,968,646,000
Costs and expenses:
Selling, administrative and engineering expense	895,321,000	1,020,907,000	1,101,086,000
Restructuring expense	119,110,000	32,353,000	93,401,000
Operating income	(186,122,000)	289,620,000	422,363,000
Financial Services
Revenue:
Financial Services	790,323,000	789,111,000	748,229,000
Costs and expenses:
Restructuring expense	10,899,000	0	0
Total costs and expenses	583,623,000	523,123,000	457,069,000
Operating income	$ 195,801,000	$ 265,988,000	$ 291,160,000