Supplemental Consolidating Data - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 27, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Mar. 28, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,393,731	$ 1,874,745	$ 2,320,645
Accounts receivable, net	254,286	182,148	216,569
Finance receivables, net	1,699,642	1,465,544	1,798,194
Inventories, net	714,259	712,942	470,997
Restricted cash	142,812	128,935	185,374
Other current assets	182,527	185,777	195,356
Total current assets	4,387,257	4,550,091	5,187,135
Finance receivables, net	5,121,911	5,106,377	4,958,583
Property, plant and equipment, net	663,807	683,984	718,968
Pension and postretirement assets	399,029	386,152	105,910
Goodwill	62,607	63,177	65,157
Deferred income taxes	71,926	82,922	135,387
Lease assets	45,073	49,625	44,765
Other long-term assets	143,030	128,727	123,083
Total assets	10,894,640	11,051,055	11,338,988
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	476,917	374,978	402,764
Accrued liabilities	597,924	601,981	570,440
Short-term deposits, net	65,049	72,146	93,887
Short-term debt	816,016	751,286	765,263
Current portion of long-term debt, net	1,327,357	1,542,496	1,622,243
Total current liabilities	3,283,263	3,342,887	3,454,597
Long-term deposits, net	283,034	218,180	58,766
Long-term debt, net	4,470,086	4,595,617	5,478,091
Lease liabilities	27,633	29,904	30,061
Pension and postretirement liabilities	93,792		103,854
Deferred income taxes	9,578	9,261	8,682
Other long-term liabilities	218,153	206,663	228,551
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders’ equity	2,509,101	2,553,244	1,976,386	$ 1,722,785
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	10,894,640	$ 11,051,055	11,338,988
Reportable Legal Entities | Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	678,616		607,941
Accounts receivable, net	601,148		603,273
Finance receivables, net	0		0
Inventories, net	714,259		470,997
Restricted cash	0		0
Other current assets	149,955		81,559
Total current assets	2,143,978		1,763,770
Finance receivables, net	0		0
Property, plant and equipment, net	636,216		687,086
Pension and postretirement assets	399,029		105,910
Goodwill	62,607		65,157
Deferred income taxes	0		56,911
Lease assets	38,126		36,559
Other long-term assets	210,157		184,876
Total assets	3,490,113		2,900,269
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	434,731		355,722
Accrued liabilities	495,921		443,529
Short-term deposits, net	0		0
Short-term debt	0		0
Current portion of long-term debt, net	0		0
Total current liabilities	930,652		799,251
Long-term deposits, net	0		0
Long-term debt, net	744,842		744,149
Lease liabilities	20,544		22,461
Pension and postretirement liabilities	93,792		103,854
Deferred income taxes	10,478		7,166
Other long-term liabilities	165,990		179,525
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders’ equity	1,523,815		1,043,863
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	3,490,113		2,900,269
Reportable Legal Entities | Harley-Davidson Financial Services
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	715,115		1,712,704
Accounts receivable, net	0		0
Finance receivables, net	1,699,642		1,798,194
Inventories, net	0		0
Restricted cash	142,812		185,374
Other current assets	61,455		113,797
Total current assets	2,619,024		3,810,069
Finance receivables, net	5,121,911		4,958,583
Property, plant and equipment, net	27,591		31,882
Pension and postretirement assets	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Deferred income taxes	75,185		79,206
Lease assets	6,947		8,206
Other long-term assets	37,595		33,929
Total assets	7,888,253		8,921,875
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	389,048		433,746
Accrued liabilities	129,581		125,768
Short-term deposits, net	65,049		93,887
Short-term debt	816,016		765,263
Current portion of long-term debt, net	1,327,357		1,622,243
Total current liabilities	2,727,051		3,040,907
Long-term deposits, net	283,034		58,766
Long-term debt, net	3,725,244		4,733,942
Lease liabilities	7,089		7,600
Pension and postretirement liabilities	0		0
Deferred income taxes	1,848		1,516
Other long-term liabilities	50,190		46,920
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders’ equity	1,093,797		1,032,224
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	7,888,253		8,921,875
Consolidating Adjustments
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0
Accounts receivable, net	(346,862)		(386,704)
Finance receivables, net	0		0
Inventories, net	0		0
Restricted cash	0		0
Other current assets	(28,883)		0
Total current assets	(375,745)		(386,704)
Finance receivables, net	0		0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0		0
Pension and postretirement assets	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Deferred income taxes	(3,259)		(730)
Lease assets	0		0
Other long-term assets	(104,722)		(95,722)
Total assets	(483,726)		(483,156)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(346,862)		(386,704)
Accrued liabilities	(27,578)		1,143
Short-term deposits, net	0		0
Short-term debt	0		0
Current portion of long-term debt, net	0		0
Total current liabilities	(374,440)		(385,561)
Long-term deposits, net	0		0
Long-term debt, net	0		0
Lease liabilities	0		0
Pension and postretirement liabilities	0		0
Deferred income taxes	(2,748)		0
Other long-term liabilities	1,973		2,106
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders’ equity	(108,511)		(99,701)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ (483,726)		$ (483,156)