Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits	$ (474)	$ 6,665
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	265,917	224,129
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used by) operating activities:
Depreciation	43,398	42,850
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	22,101	19,753
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees	2,085	2,204
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense	8,425	16,684
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans	(6,879)	(182,047)
Stock compensation expense	9,239	11,096
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	(439,422)	(336,927)
Provision for credit losses	20,331	13,110
Foreign currency adjustments	(4,172)	9,846
Other, net	3,055	(8,470)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(61,217)	(36,165)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other	793	1,246
Inventories	(20,317)	(28,613)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	356,430	79,861
Restructuring reserves	0	(12,388)
Derivative instruments	1,222	(342)
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other	(3,071)	(69,019)
Total adjustments	(62,331)	(332,618)
Net cash provided by operating activities	203,586	(108,489)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(25,881)	(22,261)
Origination of finance receivables	(757,965)	(622,373)
Collections of finance receivables	707,431	665,520
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	6,001	0
Other	51	6,656
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities	(70,363)	27,542
Repayments of Unsecured Debt	(303,000)	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity		0
Repayments of Securitization Debt	(159,938)	(178,923)
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper	13,746
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt	307,803	392,564
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	16,981
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(16,981)	(17,063)
Net change in restricted cash	26,924	(9,017)
Dividends paid	(60,527)	(47,308)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(87,690)	(126,411)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments	4,763	14,468
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	8,894	13,887
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities	(266,006)	42,197
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	1,991	(10,629)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(130,792)	(49,379)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	1,066,612	1,068,138
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(130,792)	(49,379)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	935,820	1,018,759
Motorcycles And Related Products Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits	3,159	5,626
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	347,054	364,927
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used by) operating activities:
Depreciation	41,603	41,484
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees	59	118
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense	8,425	16,684
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans	(6,879)	(182,047)
Stock compensation expense	8,550	10,330
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Foreign currency adjustments	(4,172)	9,846
Other, net	(496)	(7,385)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(387,875)	(291,616)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other	0	0
Inventories	(20,317)	(28,613)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	290,208	21,476
Restructuring reserves		(12,388)
Derivative instruments	1,222	(328)
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other	(1,770)	(66,976)
Total adjustments	(64,743)	(349,837)
Net cash provided by operating activities	282,311	15,090
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(24,691)	(21,379)
Origination of finance receivables	0	0
Collections of finance receivables	0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	6,001
Other	51	6,656
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities	(18,639)	(14,723)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt	(303,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity		100,000
Repayments of Securitization Debt	0	0
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper	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	(60,527)	(47,308)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(87,690)	(126,411)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments	4,763	14,468
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	8,894	13,887
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities	(437,560)	(45,364)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	3,268	(9,742)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(170,620)	(54,739)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	718,912	727,716
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(170,620)	(54,739)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	548,292	672,977
Financial Services Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits	(3,633)	1,039
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	38,863	44,202
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used by) operating activities:
Depreciation	1,795	1,366
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	22,101	19,753
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees	2,026	2,086
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense	0	0
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans	0	0
Stock compensation expense	689	766
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0
Provision for credit losses	20,331	13,110
Foreign currency adjustments	0	0
Other, net	3,551	(1,085)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	0	0
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other	793	1,246
Inventories	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	392,880	313,836
Restructuring reserves		0
Derivative instruments	0	(14)
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other	(1,301)	(2,043)
Total adjustments	441,834	354,146
Net cash provided by operating activities	480,697	398,348
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(1,190)	(882)
Origination of finance receivables	(1,992,601)	(1,744,023)
Collections of finance receivables	1,502,645	1,450,243
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	0
Other	0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities	(491,146)	(294,662)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity		(100,000)
Repayments of Securitization Debt	(159,938)	(178,923)
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper	13,746
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt	307,803	392,564
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	16,981
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper		(17,063)
Net change in restricted cash	26,924	(9,017)
Dividends paid	(120,000)	(185,000)
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) provided by financing activities	51,554	(97,439)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1,277)	(887)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	39,828	5,360
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period	347,700	340,422
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	39,828	5,360
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	387,528	345,782
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits	0	0
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	(120,000)	(185,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used by) operating activities:
Depreciation	0	0
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs		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	(439,422)	(336,927)
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Foreign currency adjustments	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	326,658	255,451
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(326,658)	(255,451)
Restructuring reserves		0
Derivative instruments	0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other	0	0
Total adjustments	(439,422)	(336,927)
Net cash provided by operating activities	(559,422)	(521,927)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Origination of finance receivables	1,234,636	1,121,650
Collections of finance receivables	(795,214)	(784,723)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities	0
Other	0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities	439,422	336,927
Repayments of Unsecured Debt	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity		0
Repayments of Securitization Debt	0	0
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper	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	120,000	185,000
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) provided by financing activities	120,000	185,000
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