Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	$ 162,716	$ 134,001	$ 658,584	$ 553,286
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			122,658	127,443
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			63,548	58,438
Amortization of financing origination fees			6,994	7,462
Provision for employee long-term benefits			50,158	50,348
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(197,243)	(220,733)
Stock compensation expense			31,030	30,287
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(71,869)	5,570
Provision for credit losses	14,604	9,069	39,011	12,823
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			4,947	0
Foreign currency adjustments			12,874	8,692
Other, net			(63)	9,411
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(65,835)	(37,904)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			937	1,597
Inventories			(19,233)	36,463
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			142,277	99,642
Restructuring reserves			(24,521)	(9,177)
Derivative instruments			(1,818)	611
Other			72,667	(21,761)
Total adjustments			166,519	159,212
Net cash provided by operating activities			825,103	712,498
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(111,690)	(95,329)
Origination of finance receivables			(2,617,100)	(2,328,653)
Collections of finance receivables			2,170,919	2,131,025
Purchases of marketable securities			(4,998)	(4,993)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			17,105	23,046
Other			6,721	0
Net cash used by investing activities			(539,043)	(274,904)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			0	(993,737)
Repayments of medium-term notes			(27,858)	0
Loan to HDFS			0
Proceeds from securitization of debt			647,516	763,895
Repayments of securitization debt			(650,424)	(1,161,592)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			99,416	(634,874)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			69,555	182,131
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(58,990)	(6,538)
Net change in restricted cash			(6,321)	12,255
Dividends paid			(140,772)	(106,560)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(302,196)	(257,981)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			18,444	16,390
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			39,145	36,342
Net cash used by financing activities			(312,485)	(162,795)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(11,758)	(6,608)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(38,183)	268,191
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			(38,183)	268,191
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	1,029,955	1,795,141	1,029,955	1,795,141
Motorcycles And Related Products Operations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	115,879	89,110	706,938	641,368
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			118,224	122,570
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees			355	355
Provision for employee long-term benefits			50,158	48,808
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(197,243)	(220,733)
Stock compensation expense			28,886	27,881
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			12,874	8,692
Other, net			207	2,252
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(302,434)	(230,156)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			(19,233)	36,463
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			113,902	86,513
Restructuring reserves			(24,521)	(9,177)
Derivative instruments			(1,790)	739
Other			74,205	(19,550)
Total adjustments			(146,410)	(145,343)
Net cash provided by operating activities			560,528	496,025
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(107,886)	(91,469)
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			17,105	23,046
Other			6,721
Net cash used by investing activities			(89,058)	(73,416)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes				0
Repayments of medium-term notes			0
Loan to HDFS			(150,000)
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	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			0	0
Net change in restricted cash			0	0
Dividends paid			(140,772)	(106,560)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(302,196)	(257,981)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			18,444	16,390
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			39,145	36,342
Net cash used by financing activities			(535,379)	(311,809)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(10,846)	(5,701)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(74,755)	105,099
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			727,716	943,330
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(74,755)	105,099
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	652,961	1,048,429	652,961	1,048,429
Financial Services Operations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	46,837	44,891	136,646	136,918
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			4,434	4,873
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			63,548	58,438
Amortization of financing origination fees			6,639	7,107
Provision for employee long-term benefits			0	1,540
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			0	0
Stock compensation expense			2,144	2,406
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	14,604	9,069	39,011	12,823
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			4,947
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			(270)	7,159
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			0	0
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			937	1,597
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			264,974	205,381
Restructuring reserves			0	0
Derivative instruments			(28)	(128)
Other			(1,538)	(2,211)
Total adjustments			384,798	298,985
Net cash provided by operating activities			521,444	435,903
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(3,804)	(3,860)
Origination of finance receivables			(5,832,489)	(5,315,732)
Collections of finance receivables			5,314,439	5,123,674
Purchases of marketable securities			0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0
Net cash used by investing activities			(521,854)	(195,918)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes				(993,737)
Repayments of medium-term notes			(27,858)
Loan to HDFS			150,000
Proceeds from securitization of debt			647,516	763,895
Repayments of securitization debt			(650,424)	(1,161,592)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			99,416	(634,874)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			69,555	182,131
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(58,990)	6,538
Net change in restricted cash			(6,321)	12,255
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 used by financing activities			37,894	(75,986)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(912)	(907)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			36,572	163,092
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			340,422	583,620
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			36,572	163,092
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	376,994	746,712	376,994	746,712
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
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			(71,869)	5,570
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			236,599	192,252
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(236,599)	(192,252)
Restructuring reserves			0	0
Derivative instruments			0	0
Other			0	0
Total adjustments			(71,869)	5,570
Net cash provided by operating activities			(256,869)	(219,430)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Origination of finance receivables			3,215,389	2,987,079
Collections of finance receivables			(3,143,520)	(2,992,649)
Purchases of marketable securities			0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0
Net cash used by investing activities			71,869	(5,570)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes				0
Repayments of medium-term notes			0
Loan to HDFS			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	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			0	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 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