Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation – All references to the “Company” include Harley-Davidson, Inc. and all of its subsidiaries. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Harley-Davidson, Inc., its subsidiaries and certain variable interest entities (VIEs) related to secured financing as the Company is the primary beneficiary. All intercompany accounts and material intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

On September 26, 2022, the Company's electric motorcycle subsidiary completed a merger with AEA-Bridges Impact Corp. (ABIC), a special purpose acquisition company, to create a new publicly traded company, LiveWire Group, Inc. LiveWire Group, Inc. received net proceeds of approximately $294 million, including a $180 million investment from the Company, net of transaction expenses, a $100 million investment from an independent investor, and a $14 million investment from ABIC. The Company has a controlling equity interest in LiveWire Group, Inc. As the controlling shareholder, the Company consolidates LiveWire Group, Inc. results with additional adjustments to recognize non-controlling shareholder interests.

The Company operates in three reportable segments: Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC), LiveWire and Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS).

Substantially all of the Company’s international subsidiaries use their respective local currency as their functional currency. Assets and liabilities of international subsidiaries have been translated at period-end exchange rates, and revenues and expenses have been translated using average exchange rates for the period. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in a currency that is different from an entity's functional currency are remeasured from the transactional currency to the entity's functional currency on a monthly basis. The aggregate transaction gain resulting from foreign currency remeasurements was $14.7 million, $26.2 million, and $22.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Use of Estimates – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) requires the Company's management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents – The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of 90 days or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.

Accounts Receivable, net – The Company’s motorcycles and related products are sold to independent dealers outside the U.S. and Canada generally on open account and the resulting receivables are included in Accounts receivable, net on the Consolidated balance sheets. The allowance for doubtful accounts deducted from total accounts receivable was $2.1 million and $2.9 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The Company’s evaluation of the allowance for doubtful accounts includes a review to identify non-performing accounts which are evaluated individually. The remaining accounts receivable balances are evaluated in the aggregate based on an aging analysis. The allowance for doubtful accounts is based on factors including past loss experience, the value of collateral, and if applicable, reasonable and supportable economic forecasts. Accounts receivable are written down once management determines that the specific customer does not have the ability to repay the balance in full. The Company’s sales of motorcycles and related products in the U.S. and Canada are financed through HDFS by the purchasing dealers and the related receivables are included in Finance receivables, net on the Consolidated balance sheets.

Inventories, net – Substantially all inventories located in the U.S. are valued using the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method. Other inventories totaling $447.5 million and $425.0 million at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method.

Repossessed Inventory – Repossessed inventory representing recovered collateral on impaired finance receivables is recorded at the lower of cost or net realizable value through a fair value remeasurement. In the period during which the collateral is repossessed, the related finance receivable is adjusted through a change to the allowance for credit losses and reclassified to repossessed inventory, included in Other current assets on the Consolidated balance sheets.

Property, Plant and Equipment, net – Property, plant and equipment is recorded at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is determined using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The estimated useful lives of each class of property, plant and equipment generally consist of 30 years for buildings, 7 years for building and land improvements, 3 to 10 years for machinery and equipment, and 3 to 7 years for software. Accelerated methods of depreciation are used for income tax purposes.

Goodwill – Goodwill represents the excess of acquisition cost over the fair value of the net assets purchased. Goodwill is tested for impairment, based on financial data related to the reporting unit to which it has been assigned, at least annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, goodwill is considered impaired and an impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair value, limited to the total goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. During 2023 and 2022, the Company tested its goodwill balances for impairment and no adjustments were recorded to goodwill as a result of those reviews.

Long-lived Assets – The Company periodically evaluates the carrying value of long-lived assets to be held and used when events and circumstances warrant such review. If the carrying value of a long-lived asset is considered impaired, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived asset for assets to be held and used. The Company also reviews the useful life of its long-lived assets when events and circumstances indicate that the actual useful life may be shorter than originally estimated. In the event that the actual useful life is deemed to be shorter than the original useful life, depreciation is adjusted prospectively so that the remaining book value is depreciated over the revised useful life.

Asset groups classified as held for sale are measured at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell, and a loss is recognized for any initial adjustment required to reduce the carrying amount to the fair value less cost to sell in the period the held for sale criteria are met. The fair value less cost to sell is assessed each reporting period that the asset group remains classified as held for sale. Gains or losses not previously recognized resulting from the sale of an asset group will be recognized on the date of sale.

Fair Value Measurements - The Company assesses the inputs used to measure fair value using a three-tier hierarchy.

Level 1 inputs include quoted prices for identical instruments and are the most observable.

Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets and observable inputs such as interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices, and yield curves.

Level 3 inputs are not observable in the market and include the Company's judgments about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.

Refer to Notes 12 and 14 for further discussion regarding the Company's assets measured at fair value.

Research and Development Expenses – Expenditures for research activities relating to product development and improvements are charged against income as incurred and included within Selling, administrative and engineering expense on the Consolidated statements of operations. Research and development expenses were $159.3 million, $158.6 million and $175.1 million for 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Advertising Costs – The Company expenses the production cost of advertising the first time the advertising takes place within Selling, administrative and engineering expense. Advertising costs relate to the Company’s efforts to promote its products and brands through the use of media and other means. During 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company incurred $131.0 million, $105.6 million and $107.6 million in advertising costs, respectively.

Shipping and Handling Costs – The Company classifies shipping and handling costs as a component of Motorcycles and related products cost of goods sold.

New Accounting Standards

Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures (ASU 2023-07). ASU 2023-07 is intended to improve reportable segment disclosures, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. The main provisions of ASU 2023-07 require a public entity to disclose on an annual and interim basis: (i) significant segment expenses provided to the chief operating decision maker, (ii) an amount representing the difference between segment revenue less segment expenses disclosed under the significant segment expense principle and each reported measure of segment profit or loss and a description of its composition, (iii) provide all annual disclosures about a reportable segment's profit or loss and assets currently required under Topic 280 in interim periods, (iv) clarify that if the chief operating decision maker uses more than one measure of a segment's profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources, a public entity may report one or more of those additional measures of segment profit, (v) the title and position of the chief operating decision maker and an explanation of how the chief operating decision maker uses the reported measure of segment profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources, and (vi) all disclosures required by ASU 2023-07 and all existing segment disclosures under Topic 280 for an entity with a single reportable segment. The new guidance is effective for the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is still evaluating the impact ASU 2023-07 will have on the Company's consolidated financial statement disclosures.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which is intended to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. The main provisions of ASU 2023-09 require a public entity to disclose on an annual basis (i) specific prescribed categories in the rate reconciliation, (ii) additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold, (iii) the amount of income taxes paid, net of refunds received, disaggregated by federal, state, and foreign taxes, (iv) the amount of income taxes paid, net of refunds received, disaggregated by individual jurisdictions in which income taxes paid is equal to greater than 5 percent of total income taxes paid, (v) income or loss from continuing operations before income tax expense or benefit disaggregated between domestic and foreign, and (vi) income tax expense or benefit from continuing operations disaggregated by federal, state, and foreign. ASU 2023-09 also removes certain disclosure requirements related to unrecognized tax benefits and cumulative unrecognized temporary differences. The new guidance is effective for the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is still evaluating the impact ASU 2023-09 will have on the Company's consolidated financial statement disclosures.