Supplemental Consolidating Data - Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended						9 Months Ended
	Sep. 25, 2022	Jun. 26, 2022	Mar. 27, 2022	Sep. 26, 2021	Jun. 27, 2021	Mar. 28, 2021	Sep. 25, 2022	Sep. 26, 2021
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 261,186	$ 215,849	$ 222,502	$ 162,973	$ 206,340	$ 259,144	$ 699,537	$ 628,457
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization							114,867	122,483
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs							72,214	63,265
Amortization of financing origination fees							11,475	10,426
Provision for long-term employee benefits							(14,637)	19,640
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments							(4,766)	(14,677)
Stock compensation expense							33,595	34,032
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales							(294,698)	(22,031)
Provision for credit losses	36,617			11,208			94,572	4,935
Deferred income taxes							(2,980)	10,626
Other, net							24,392	2,094
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net							(150,726)	(148,670)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other							3,566	11,088
Inventories, net							(6,577)	31,874
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities							37,745	168,306
Other current assets							(42,875)	3,703
Total adjustments							(124,833)	297,094
Net cash provided by operating activities							574,704	925,551
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures							(84,947)	(61,476)
Origination of finance receivables							(3,773,830)	(3,444,953)
Collections on finance receivables							3,110,881	2,968,397
Other investing activities							2,160	2,485
Net cash used by investing activities							(745,736)	(535,547)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes							495,785	0
Repayments of medium-term notes							(950,000)	(1,400,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt							1,826,891	1,169,910
Repayments of securitization debt							(1,054,939)	(1,013,820)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper							448,255	27,406
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper							(228,431)	(206,671)
Net decrease in unsecured commercial paper							(60,281)	(261,978)
Net increase in deposits							54,080	210,144
Deposit in advance of business combination							100,000
Dividends paid							(70,163)	(69,316)
Repurchase of common stock							(338,496)	(11,545)
Other financing activities							(1,237)	4,324
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities							221,464	(1,551,546)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							(33,361)	(11,050)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period			2,025,219			3,409,168	2,025,219	3,409,168
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							17,071	(1,172,592)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	2,042,290			2,236,576			2,042,290	2,236,576
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from securitization debt							0
Harley-Davidson Financial Services
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from securitization debt							1,826,891
Reportable Legal Entities | Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	401,651			206,561			712,620	629,945
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization							108,485	115,779
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs							0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees							524	517
Provision for long-term employee benefits							(14,637)	19,640
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments							(4,766)	(14,677)
Stock compensation expense							31,418	31,089
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales							0	0
Provision for credit losses	0			0			0	0
Deferred income taxes							1,981	4,710
Other, net							20,190	3,320
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net							(443,645)	(379,821)
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other							0	0
Inventories, net							(6,577)	31,874
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities							22,075	162,088
Other current assets							(58,774)	(11,127)
Total adjustments							(343,726)	(36,608)
Net cash provided by operating activities							368,894	593,337
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures							(82,153)	(59,128)
Origination of finance receivables							0	0
Collections on finance receivables							0	0
Other investing activities							2,160	2,485
Net cash used by investing activities							(79,993)	(56,643)
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 in unsecured commercial paper							0	0
Net increase in deposits							0	0
Deposit in advance of business combination							100,000
Dividends paid							(70,163)	(69,316)
Repurchase of common stock							(338,496)	(11,545)
Other financing activities							(1,237)	4,324
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities							(309,896)	(76,537)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							(30,821)	(11,304)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period			1,078,205			666,161	1,078,205	666,161
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							(51,816)	448,853
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	1,026,389			1,115,014			1,026,389	1,115,014
Reportable Legal Entities | Harley-Davidson Financial Services
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	59,413			76,210			186,800	238,684
Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization							6,382	6,704
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs							72,214	63,265
Amortization of financing origination fees							10,951	9,909
Provision for long-term employee benefits							0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments							0	0
Stock compensation expense							2,177	2,943
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales							0	0
Provision for credit losses	36,617			11,208			94,572	4,935
Deferred income taxes							(4,681)	6,028
Other, net							4,318	(1,397)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net							0	0
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other							3,566	11,088
Inventories, net							0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities							321,594	247,740
Other current assets							2,615	3,952
Total adjustments							513,708	355,167
Net cash provided by operating activities							700,508	593,851
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures							(2,794)	(2,348)
Origination of finance receivables							(6,642,296)	(6,157,658)
Collections on finance receivables							5,684,649	5,659,465
Other investing activities							0	0
Net cash used by investing activities							(960,441)	(500,541)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes							495,785
Repayments of medium-term notes							(950,000)	(1,400,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt								1,169,910
Repayments of securitization debt							(1,054,939)	(1,013,820)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper							448,255	27,406
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper							(228,431)	(206,671)
Net decrease in unsecured commercial paper							(60,281)	(261,978)
Net increase in deposits							54,080	210,144
Deposit in advance of business combination							0
Dividends paid							(200,000)	(240,000)
Repurchase of common stock							0	0
Other financing activities							0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities							331,360	(1,715,009)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							(2,540)	254
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period			947,014			2,743,007	947,014	2,743,007
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							68,887	(1,621,445)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	1,015,901			1,121,562			1,015,901	1,121,562
Consolidating Adjustments
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(199,878)			(119,798)			(199,883)	(240,172)
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							(294,698)	(22,031)
Provision for credit losses	0			0			0	0
Deferred income taxes							(280)	(112)
Other, net							(116)	171
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net							292,919	231,151
Finance receivables – accrued interest and other							0	0
Inventories, net							0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities							(305,924)	(241,522)
Other current assets							13,284	10,878
Total adjustments							(294,815)	(21,465)
Net cash provided by operating activities							(494,698)	(261,637)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures							0	0
Origination of finance receivables							2,868,466	2,712,705
Collections on finance receivables							(2,573,768)	(2,691,068)
Other investing activities							0	0
Net cash used by investing activities							294,698	21,637
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 in unsecured commercial paper							0	0
Net increase in deposits							0	0
Deposit in advance of business combination							0
Dividends paid							200,000	240,000
Repurchase of common stock							0	0
Other financing activities							0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities							200,000	240,000
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	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	$ 0