Additional Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Information (Inventories, Net) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 25, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 27, 2015
Inventory [Line Items]
Raw materials and work in process	$ 159,209	$ 161,704	$ 153,779
Inventory at lower of FIFO cost or market	475,815	635,175	516,559
Excess of FIFO over LIFO cost	(49,268)	(49,268)	(49,902)
Inventories, net	426,547	585,907	466,657
Motorcycles
Inventory [Line Items]
Finished goods	182,019	327,952	228,243
Parts and Accessories and General Merchandise
Inventory [Line Items]
Finished goods	$ 134,587	$ 145,519	$ 134,537

Amount before valuation and LIFO reserves of completed merchandise or goods expected to be sold within one year or operating cycle, if longer.

Name:	us-gaap_InventoryFinishedGoods
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Gross amount, as of the balance sheet date, of merchandise, goods, commodities, or supplies held for future sale or to be used in manufacturing, servicing or production process.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InventoryGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount by which inventory stated at last-in first-out (LIFO) is less than (in excess of) inventory stated at other inventory cost methods.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InventoryLIFOReserve
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InventoryLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount after valuation and LIFO reserves of inventory expected to be sold, or consumed within one year or operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.6(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 330
-SubTopic 10
-Section 35
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68049868&loc=d3e3927-108312

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28358313&loc=d3e6676-107765

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InventoryNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The aggregate carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of items held by the entity which are partially completed at the time of measurement and unprocessed items that will go through the production process and become part of the final product. Includes supplies used directly or indirectly in the manufacturing or production process. This element may be used when the reporting entity combines work in process and raw materials into an aggregate amount.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InventoryWorkInProcessAndRawMaterials
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesInventoryAxis=hog_MotorcyclesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesInventoryAxis=hog_PartsAndAccessoriesAndGeneralMerchandiseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: