Supplemental Consolidating Data - Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 27, 2022	Mar. 28, 2021
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 222,502	$ 259,144
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	39,258	40,221
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	22,995	19,200
Amortization of financing origination fees	3,701	3,614
Provision for long-term employee benefits	(5,050)	7,090
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(2,143)	(9,885)
Stock compensation expense	8,903	8,968
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	(205,727)	(308,532)
Provision for credit losses	28,822	(22,474)
Deferred income taxes	6,307	13,192
Other, net	(5,408)	(2,138)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(74,993)	(79,012)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	3,115	8,947
Inventories, net	(2,630)	45,086
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	106,969	153,597
Other current assets	(7,300)	25,763
Total adjustments	(83,181)	(96,363)
Net cash provided by operating activities	139,321	162,781
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(27,999)	(18,813)
Origination of finance receivables	(1,058,461)	(909,138)
Collections on finance receivables	965,190	900,485
Other investing activities	135	733
Net cash used by investing activities	(121,135)	(26,733)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	495,785	0
Repayments of medium-term notes	(550,000)	(1,050,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt	0	597,411
Repayments of securitization debt	(271,499)	(291,346)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	62,455	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(56,634)	(66,894)
Net increase (decrease) in unsecured commercial paper	64,521	(262,517)
Net increase in credit facilities	0	15,629
Net increase in deposits	57,660	72,664
Dividends paid	(24,056)	(23,105)
Repurchase of common stock	(261,737)	(5,646)
Other financing activities	0	1,085
Net cash used by financing activities	(483,505)	(1,012,719)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(1,743)	(5,163)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	2,025,219	3,409,168
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(467,062)	(881,834)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	1,558,157	2,527,334
Reportable Legal Entities | Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	158,961	169,055
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	37,106	37,778
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees	174	172
Provision for long-term employee benefits	(5,050)	7,090
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(2,143)	(9,885)
Stock compensation expense	8,233	8,174
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Deferred income taxes	6,176	3,811
Other, net	(5,322)	(2,743)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(319,329)	(388,688)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0	0
Inventories, net	(2,630)	45,086
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	86,546	104,486
Other current assets	(47,418)	18,222
Total adjustments	(243,657)	(176,497)
Net cash provided by operating activities	(84,696)	(7,442)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(27,149)	(18,427)
Origination of finance receivables	0	0
Collections on finance receivables	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(27,014)	(17,694)
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
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in unsecured commercial paper	0	0
Net increase in credit facilities		0
Net increase in deposits	0
Dividends paid	(24,056)	(23,105)
Repurchase of common stock	(261,737)	(5,646)
Other financing activities		1,085
Net cash used by financing activities	(285,793)	(27,666)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(2,086)	(5,418)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	1,078,205	666,161
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(399,589)	(58,220)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	678,616	607,941
Reportable Legal Entities | Harley-Davidson Financial Services
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	63,388	90,010
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	2,152	2,443
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	22,995	19,200
Amortization of financing origination fees	3,527	3,442
Provision for long-term employee benefits	0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	0	0
Stock compensation expense	670	794
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0
Provision for credit losses	28,822	(22,474)
Deferred income taxes	665	9,812
Other, net	67	685
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	3,115	8,947
Inventories, net	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	289,876	354,507
Other current assets	14,467	11,271
Total adjustments	366,356	388,627
Net cash provided by operating activities	429,744	478,637
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(850)	(386)
Origination of finance receivables	(2,023,861)	(1,923,911)
Collections on finance receivables	1,724,863	1,606,844
Other investing activities	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(299,848)	(317,453)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	495,785
Repayments of medium-term notes	(550,000)	(1,050,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt		597,411
Repayments of securitization debt	(271,499)	(291,346)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	62,455
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(56,634)	(66,894)
Net increase (decrease) in unsecured commercial paper	64,521	(262,517)
Net increase in credit facilities		15,629
Net increase in deposits	57,660	72,664
Dividends paid	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other financing activities		0
Net cash used by financing activities	(197,712)	(985,053)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	343	255
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	947,014	2,743,007
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(67,473)	(823,614)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	879,541	1,919,393
Consolidating Adjustments
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	153	79
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	0
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	(205,727)	(308,532)
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(534)	(431)
Other, net	(153)	(80)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	244,336	309,676
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(269,453)	(305,396)
Other current assets	25,651	(3,730)
Total adjustments	(205,880)	(308,493)
Net cash provided by operating activities	(205,727)	(308,414)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Origination of finance receivables	965,400	1,014,773
Collections on finance receivables	(759,673)	(706,359)
Other investing activities	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	205,727	308,414
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
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in unsecured commercial paper	0	0
Net increase in credit facilities		0
Net increase in deposits	0
Dividends paid	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Other financing activities		0
Net cash used by financing activities	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	0	0
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$ 0	$ 0