Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 29, 2015	Mar. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits	$ 2,820	$ (474)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	269,854us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	265,917us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	46,028us-gaap_Depreciation	43,398us-gaap_Depreciation
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	22,932	22,101
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees	2,215	2,085
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense	12,318	8,425
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans	(6,627)	(6,879)
Stock compensation expense	8,046us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation	9,239us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	(465,598)	(439,422)
Provision for credit losses	26,247	20,331
Foreign currency adjustments	18,154	(4,172)
Other, net	(2,507)us-gaap_OtherNoncashIncomeExpense	3,055us-gaap_OtherNoncashIncomeExpense
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(49,936)	(61,217)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other	2,067	793
Inventories	(51,934)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories	(20,317)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	305,102	356,430
Derivative instruments	399	1,222
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other	(35,120)	(3,071)
Total adjustments	(95,154)	(62,331)
Net cash provided by operating activities	174,700	203,586
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(38,069)	(25,881)
Origination of finance receivables	(752,404)	(757,965)
Collections of finance receivables	729,666	707,431
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	0	6,001
Other	9	51
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities	(60,798)	(70,363)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt	0us-gaap_RepaymentsOfUnsecuredDebt	(303,000)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfUnsecuredDebt
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes	595,386	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity	0hog_IntercompanyBorrowingActivity
Proceeds from Securitization Debt	697,591hog_ProceedsfromSecuritizationDebt	0hog_ProceedsfromSecuritizationDebt
Repayments of Securitization Debt	(200,695)hog_RepaymentsofSecuritizationDebt	(159,938)hog_RepaymentsofSecuritizationDebt
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper	16,798	13,746
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt	(661,241)	307,803
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	15,744
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(15,744)	(16,981)
Net change in restricted cash	(28,579)	26,924
Dividends paid	(65,467)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividends	(60,527)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividends
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(192,700)	(87,690)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments	2,207	4,763
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	9,605	8,894
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	16,798	13,746
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities	157,161	(266,006)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(9,019)	1,991
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	262,044	(130,792)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	906,680	1,066,612
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	262,044	(130,792)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	1,168,724	935,820
Motorcycles And Related Products Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits	6,594	3,159
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	327,249	347,054
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	43,947	41,603
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees	0	59
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense	12,318	8,425
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans	(6,627)	(6,879)
Stock compensation expense	7,381	8,550
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Foreign currency adjustments	18,154	(4,172)
Other, net	(1,893)	(496)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(392,593)	(387,875)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other	0	0
Inventories	(51,934)	(20,317)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	241,052	290,208
Derivative instruments	399	1,222
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other	(27,082)	(1,770)
Total adjustments	(96,120)	(64,743)
Net cash provided by operating activities	231,129	282,311
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(37,240)	(24,691)
Origination of finance receivables	0	0
Collections of finance receivables	0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities		6,001
Other	9	51
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities	(37,231)	(18,639)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt		(303,000)
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity	250,000
Proceeds from Securitization Debt	0
Repayments of Securitization Debt	0	0
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper	0	0
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt	0	0
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper		0
Net change in restricted cash	0	0
Dividends paid	(65,467)	(60,527)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(192,700)	(87,690)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments	2,207	4,763
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	9,605	8,894
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities	3,645	(437,560)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(7,263)	3,268
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	190,280	(170,620)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	573,895	718,912
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	190,280	(170,620)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	764,175	548,292
Financial Services Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits	(3,774)	(3,633)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	42,605	38,863
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	2,081	1,795
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	22,932	22,101
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees	2,215	2,026
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense	0	0
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans	0	0
Stock compensation expense	665	689
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0
Provision for credit losses	26,247	20,331
Foreign currency adjustments	0	0
Other, net	(614)	3,551
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	0	0
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other	2,067	793
Inventories	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	406,607	392,880
Derivative instruments	0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other	(8,038)	(1,301)
Total adjustments	466,464	441,834
Net cash provided by operating activities	509,069	480,697
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(829)	(1,190)
Origination of finance receivables	(2,008,170)	(1,992,601)
Collections of finance receivables	1,519,934	1,502,645
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities		0
Other	0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities	(489,065)	(491,146)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt		0
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes	595,386
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity	(250,000)
Proceeds from Securitization Debt	697,591
Repayments of Securitization Debt	(200,695)	(159,938)
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper	16,798	13,746
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt	(661,241)	307,803
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	15,744
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper		(16,981)
Net change in restricted cash	(28,579)	26,924
Dividends paid	(100,000)	(120,000)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share based payments	0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	0	0
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities	53,516	51,554
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1,756)	(1,277)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	71,764	39,828
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	332,785	347,700
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	71,764	39,828
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	404,549	387,528
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes	0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits	0	0
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(100,000)	(120,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	0	0
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees	0	0
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense	0	0
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans	0	0
Stock compensation expense	0	0
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	(465,598)	(439,422)
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Foreign currency adjustments	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	342,657	326,658
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(342,557)	(326,658)
Derivative instruments	0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other	0	0
Total adjustments	(465,498)	(439,422)
Net cash provided by operating activities	(565,498)	(559,422)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Origination of finance receivables	1,255,766	1,234,636
Collections of finance receivables	(790,268)	(795,214)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities		0
Other	0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities	465,498	439,422
Repayments of Unsecured Debt		0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity	0
Proceeds from Securitization Debt	0
Repayments of Securitization Debt	0	0
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper	0	0
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt	0	0
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper		0
Net change in restricted cash	0	0
Dividends paid	100,000	120,000
Purchase of common stock for treasury	0	0
Excess tax benefits from share based payments	0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	0	0
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities	100,000	120,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	$ 0	$ 0

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The net increase(decrease) in interest income during the period representing the allocation of deferred loan origination fees less deferred loan origination costs using the effective interest method over the term of the debt arrangement to which they pertain taking into account the effect of prepayments.

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Amount of cash inflow (outflow) of investing activities, excluding discontinued operations. Investing activity cash flows include making and collecting loans and acquiring and disposing of debt or equity instruments and property, plant, and equipment and other productive assets.

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The cash inflow from a debt funding received on a regular basis with maturities ranging from 5-10 years.

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Amount of expense related loan transactions, lease transactions, credit loss from transactions other than loan and lease transactions, and other loss based on assessment of uncollectability from the counterparty to reduce the account to their net realizable value.

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