Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jul. 01, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jul. 01, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	$ 271,739	$ 247,250	$ 495,868	$ 419,285
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			83,406	85,997
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			40,947	38,075
Amortization of financing origination fees			4,635	5,021
Provision for employee long-term benefits			33,382	34,263
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(189,116)	(213,648)
Stock compensation expense			21,061	22,119
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(293,293)	(124,919)
Provision for credit losses	11,297	(5,259)	24,407	3,754
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			4,947	0
Foreign currency adjustments			18,529	8,143
Other, net			(442)	5,567
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(34,787)	(34,977)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			699	2,912
Inventories			69,475	89,162
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			70,721	(12,286)
Restructuring reserves			(22,790)	(9,915)
Derivative instruments			(1,557)	(1,420)
Other			63,585	(28,891)
Total adjustments			(106,191)	(131,043)
Net cash provided by operating activities			389,677	288,242
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(66,589)	(60,078)
Origination of finance receivables			(1,653,232)	(1,583,572)
Collections of finance receivables			1,422,688	1,435,790
Purchases of marketable securities			(4,998)	(4,993)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			6,003	23,046
Other			6,667	0
Net cash used by investing activities			(289,461)	(189,807)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			0	(397,373)
Repayments of medium-term notes			(27,858)	0
Loan to HDFS			0	0
Proceeds from securitization of debt			647,516	91,030
Repayments of securitization debt			(423,455)	(839,401)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			230,761	(46,629)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			47,061	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(37,642)	0
Net change in restricted cash			(23,996)	41,091
Dividends paid			(94,213)	(71,645)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(208,699)	(172,742)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			16,338	15,730
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			24,677	35,337
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			150,490	(549,856)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(18,154)	(4,033)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			232,552	(455,454)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			1,068,138	1,526,950
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			232,552	(455,454)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	1,300,690	1,071,496	1,300,690	1,071,496
Motorcycles And Related Products Operations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	226,131	196,544	591,059	552,258
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			80,592	82,954
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees			237	237
Provision for employee long-term benefits			33,382	33,236
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(189,116)	(213,648)
Stock compensation expense			19,592	20,539
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0
Foreign currency adjustments			18,529	8,143
Other, net			(647)	1,275
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(286,024)	(295,930)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			69,475	89,162
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			63,605	(22,227)
Restructuring reserves			(22,790)	(9,915)
Derivative instruments			(1,529)	(1,293)
Other			65,613	(25,286)
Total adjustments			(149,081)	(332,753)
Net cash provided by operating activities			441,978	219,505
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(64,282)	(57,504)
Origination of finance receivables			0	0
Collections of finance receivables			0	0
Purchases of marketable securities			(4,998)	(4,993)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			6,003	23,046
Other			6,667
Net cash used by investing activities			(56,610)	(39,451)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes				0
Repayments of medium-term notes			0
Loan to HDFS			100,000	(200,000)
Proceeds from securitization of debt			0	0
Repayments of securitization debt			0	0
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			0
Net change in restricted cash			0	0
Dividends paid			(94,213)	(71,645)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(208,699)	(172,742)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			16,338	15,730
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			24,677	35,337
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities			(161,897)	(393,320)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(16,092)	(4,155)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			207,379	(217,421)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			727,716	943,330
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			207,379	(217,421)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	935,095	725,909	935,095	725,909
Financial Services Operations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	45,608	50,706	89,809	92,027
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			2,814	3,043
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			40,947	38,075
Amortization of financing origination fees			4,398	4,784
Provision for employee long-term benefits			0	1,027
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			0	0
Stock compensation expense			1,469	1,580
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	11,297	(5,259)	24,407	3,754
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			4,947
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			205	4,292
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			0	0
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			699	2,912
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			258,353	270,894
Restructuring reserves			0	0
Derivative instruments			(28)	(127)
Other			(2,028)	(3,605)
Total adjustments			336,183	326,629
Net cash provided by operating activities			425,992	418,656
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(2,307)	(2,574)
Origination of finance receivables			(4,019,925)	(3,766,621)
Collections of finance receivables			3,496,088	3,493,920
Purchases of marketable securities			0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0
Net cash used by investing activities			(526,144)	(275,275)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes				(397,373)
Repayments of medium-term notes			(27,858)
Loan to HDFS			(100,000)	200,000
Proceeds from securitization of debt			647,516	91,030
Repayments of securitization debt			(423,455)	(839,401)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			230,761	(46,629)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			47,061
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(37,642)
Net change in restricted cash			(23,996)	41,091
Dividends paid			(185,000)	(225,000)
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 (used) by financing activities			127,387	(381,536)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(2,062)	122
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			25,173	(238,033)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			340,422	583,620
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			25,173	(238,033)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	365,595	345,587	365,595	345,587
Eliminations & Adjustments [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	0	0	(185,000)	(225,000)
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
Provision for employee long-term benefits			0	0
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			0	0
Stock compensation expense			0	0
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(293,293)	(124,919)
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			0	0
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			251,237	260,953
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(251,237)	(260,953)
Restructuring reserves			0	0
Derivative instruments			0	0
Other			0	0
Total adjustments			(293,293)	(124,919)
Net cash provided by operating activities			(478,293)	(349,919)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Origination of finance receivables			2,366,693	2,183,049
Collections of finance receivables			(2,073,400)	(2,058,130)
Purchases of marketable securities			0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0
Net cash used by investing activities			293,293	124,919
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes				0
Repayments of medium-term notes			0
Loan to HDFS			0	0
Proceeds from securitization of debt			0	0
Repayments of securitization debt			0	0
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			0
Net change in restricted cash			0	0
Dividends paid			185,000	225,000
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 (used) by financing activities			185,000	225,000
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	$ 0	$ 0