Supplemental Consolidating Data - Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 650,024	$ 1,298	$ 423,635
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	165,185	185,715	232,537
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	86,115	71,142	76,326
Amortization of financing origination fees	13,810	14,435	9,823
Provision for long-term employee benefits	8,317	40,833	13,344
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(17,133)	(20,722)	(13,256)
Stock compensation expense	42,156	23,494	33,733
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	89,001	531,701	(5,822)
Provision for credit losses	25,049	181,870	134,536
Deferred income taxes	(7,672)	(44,079)	21,547
Other, net	(9,985)	10,345	2,234
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(53,463)	127,657	44,902
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	13,316	7,418	(11,119)
Inventories, net	(207,550)	80,858	(47,576)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	173,548	(43,087)	(18,462)
Other current assets	4,983	9,012	(28,110)
Total change in current assets and liabilities	325,677	1,176,592	444,637
Net cash provided by operating activities	975,701	1,177,890	868,272
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(120,181)	(131,050)	(181,440)
Origination of finance receivables	(4,243,710)	(3,497,486)	(3,847,322)
Collections on finance receivables	3,902,304	3,540,289	3,499,717
Other investing activities	2,140	21,464	20,919
Net cash used by investing activities	(459,447)	(66,783)	(508,126)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	0	1,396,602	1,203,236
Repayments of medium-term notes	(1,400,000)	(1,400,000)	(1,350,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt	1,169,910	2,064,450	1,021,453
Repayments of securitization debt	(1,340,638)	(1,041,751)	(353,251)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	98,863	225,187	177,950
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(261,367)	(318,828)	(318,006)
Net (decrease) increase in unsecured commercial paper	(260,250)	444,380	(563,453)
Net increase in deposits	210,112	79,947	0
Dividends paid	(92,426)	(68,087)	(237,221)
Repurchase of common stock	(11,623)	(8,006)	(296,520)
Issuance of common stock under share-based plans		89
Other financing activities	2,488	89	3,589
Net cash (used) provided by financing activities	(1,884,931)	1,373,983	(712,223)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(15,272)	18,712	(2,305)
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(1,383,949)	2,503,802	(354,382)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	3,409,168	905,366	1,259,748
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(1,383,949)	2,503,802	(354,382)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	2,025,219	3,409,168	905,366
Reportable Legal Entities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from securitization debt		0
Reportable Legal Entities | Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	581,795	(48,883)
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	155,969	177,113
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees	691	681
Provision for long-term employee benefits	8,317	40,833
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(17,133)	(20,722)
Stock compensation expense	38,909	17,905
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(16,279)	(19,097)
Other, net	(8,346)	(3,022)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(78,961)	161,012
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0	0
Inventories, net	(207,550)	80,858
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	174,615	(34,755)
Other current assets	10,982	13,929
Total change in current assets and liabilities	61,214	414,735
Net cash provided by operating activities	643,009	365,852
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(115,995)	(128,798)
Origination of finance receivables	0	0
Collections on finance receivables	0	0
Other investing activities	2,140	18,073
Net cash used by investing activities	(113,855)	(110,725)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes		0
Repayments of medium-term notes	0	0
Proceeds from securitization debt	0
Repayments of securitization debt	0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in unsecured commercial paper	0	0
Net increase in deposits	0	0
Dividends paid	(92,426)	(68,087)
Repurchase of common stock	(11,623)	(8,006)
Issuance of common stock under share-based plans		89
Other financing activities	2,488
Net cash (used) provided by financing activities	(101,561)	(76,004)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(15,549)	16,389
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	412,044	195,512
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	666,161	470,649
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	412,044	195,512
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	1,078,205	666,161	470,649
Reportable Legal Entities | Harley-Davidson Financial Services
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	308,114	149,744
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	9,216	8,602
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	86,115	71,142
Amortization of financing origination fees	13,119	13,754
Provision for long-term employee benefits	0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	0	0
Stock compensation expense	3,247	1,859
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0
Provision for credit losses	25,049	181,870
Deferred income taxes	8,723	(24,697)
Other, net	(1,523)	13,803
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	13,316	7,418
Inventories, net	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	23,373	(40,851)
Other current assets	(5,501)	(4,081)
Total change in current assets and liabilities	175,134	228,819
Net cash provided by operating activities	483,248	378,563
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(4,186)	(2,252)
Origination of finance receivables	(7,409,811)	(5,616,347)
Collections on finance receivables	7,157,849	6,192,625
Other investing activities	0	3,391
Net cash used by investing activities	(256,148)	577,417
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes		1,396,602
Repayments of medium-term notes	(1,400,000)	(1,400,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt	1,169,910	2,064,450
Repayments of securitization debt	(1,340,638)	(1,041,751)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	98,863	225,187
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(261,367)	(318,828)
Net (decrease) increase in unsecured commercial paper	(260,250)	444,380
Net increase in deposits	210,112	79,947
Dividends paid	(240,000)	(100,000)
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Issuance of common stock under share-based plans		0
Other financing activities	0
Net cash (used) provided by financing activities	(2,023,370)	1,349,987
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	277	2,323
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(1,795,993)	2,308,290
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	2,743,007	434,717
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(1,795,993)	2,308,290
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	947,014	2,743,007	434,717
Consolidating Adjustments
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(239,885)	(99,563)
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees	0	0
Provision for long-term employee benefits	0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	0	0
Stock compensation expense	0	3,730
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	89,001	531,701
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(116)	(285)
Other, net	(116)	(436)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	25,498	(33,355)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(24,440)	32,519
Other current assets	(498)	(836)
Total change in current assets and liabilities	89,329	533,038
Net cash provided by operating activities	(150,556)	433,475
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Origination of finance receivables	3,166,101	2,118,861
Collections on finance receivables	(3,255,545)	(2,652,336)
Other investing activities	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(89,444)	(533,475)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes		0
Repayments of medium-term notes	0	0
Proceeds from securitization debt	0	0
Repayments of securitization debt	0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in unsecured commercial paper	0	0
Net increase in deposits	0	0
Dividends paid	240,000	100,000
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Issuance of common stock under share-based plans		0
Other financing activities	0
Net cash (used) provided by financing activities	240,000	100,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0