Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 29, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 29, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes			$ (7,220)	$ (27,858)
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			(5,084)	0
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	354,153	271,739	620,070	495,868
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			87,123	83,406
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			45,713	40,947
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			4,284	4,635
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			16,854	33,382
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(14,035)	(189,116)
Stock compensation expense			20,768	21,061
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(510,200)	(293,293)
Provision for credit losses	15,961	11,297	36,292	24,407
Foreign currency adjustments			(3,894)	18,529
Other, net			9,332	(442)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(25,643)	(34,787)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			(993)	699
Inventories			58,741	69,475
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			226,233	70,721
Restructuring reserves			0	(22,790)
Derivative instruments			968	(1,557)
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			(2,918)	(63,585)
Total adjustments			(49,478)	(106,191)
Net cash provided by operating activities			570,592	389,677
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(74,523)	(66,589)
Origination of finance receivables			(1,904,577)	(1,653,232)
Collections of finance receivables			1,518,186	1,422,688
Payments to Acquire Marketable Securities			0	4,998
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			41,010	6,003
Other			145	6,667
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			(419,759)	(289,461)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt			(303,000)	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity			0	0
Proceeds from Securitization Debt			847,126	647,516
Proceeds from Other Debt				647,516
Repayments of Securitization Debt			(393,655)	(423,455)
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper			36,800	47,061
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt			(48,134)	230,761
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			37,317
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(37,317)	(37,642)
Net change in restricted cash			(9,874)	(23,996)
Dividends paid			(120,631)	(94,213)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(223,736)	(208,699)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			8,652	16,338
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			27,907	24,677
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			(223,082)	150,490
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			4,983	(18,154)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(67,266)	232,552
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			(67,266)	232,552
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	999,346	1,300,690	999,346	1,300,690
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			1,145	4,947
Motorcycles And Related Products Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes			0	0
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			939
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	308,472	226,131	655,526	591,059
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			83,348	80,592
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			59	237
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			16,854	33,382
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(14,035)	(189,116)
Stock compensation expense			19,393	19,592
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Foreign currency adjustments			(3,894)	18,529
Other, net			4,712	(647)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(363,817)	(286,024)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			58,741	69,475
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			189,117	63,605
Restructuring reserves				(22,790)
Derivative instruments			968	(1,529)
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			(4,962)	(65,613)
Total adjustments			(2,653)	(149,081)
Net cash provided by operating activities			652,873	441,978
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(71,395)	(64,282)
Origination of finance receivables			0	0
Collections of finance receivables			0	0
Payments to Acquire Marketable Securities				4,998
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			41,010	6,003
Other			145	6,667
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			(30,240)	(56,610)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt			(303,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity			(100,000)	100,000
Proceeds from Securitization Debt			0
Proceeds from Other 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			(120,631)	(94,213)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(223,736)	(208,699)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			8,652	16,338
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			27,907	24,677
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			(710,808)	(161,897)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			4,968	(16,092)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(83,207)	207,379
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			718,912	727,716
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(83,207)	207,379
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	635,705	935,095	635,705	935,095
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0	0
Financial Services Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes			(7,220)	(27,858)
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			(6,023)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	45,681	45,608	84,544	89,809
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			3,775	2,814
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			45,713	40,947
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			4,225	4,398
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			0	0
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			0	0
Stock compensation expense			1,375	1,469
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	15,961	11,297	36,292	24,407
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			4,620	205
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			0	0
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			(993)	699
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			375,290	258,353
Restructuring reserves				0
Derivative instruments			0	(28)
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			2,044	2,028
Total adjustments			463,375	336,183
Net cash provided by operating activities			547,919	425,992
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(3,128)	(2,307)
Origination of finance receivables			(4,580,910)	(4,019,925)
Collections of finance receivables			3,684,319	3,496,088
Payments to Acquire Marketable Securities				0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			(899,719)	(526,144)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt			0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity			100,000	(100,000)
Proceeds from Securitization Debt			847,126
Proceeds from Other Debt				647,516
Repayments of Securitization Debt			(393,655)	(423,455)
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper			36,800	47,061
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt			(48,134)	230,761
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			37,317
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper				(37,642)
Net change in restricted cash			(9,874)	(23,996)
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			367,726	127,387
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			15	(2,062)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			15,941	25,173
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			347,700	340,422
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			15,941	25,173
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	363,641	365,595	363,641	365,595
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			1,145	4,947
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents:
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt				0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes			0	0
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			0
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	0	0	(120,000)	(185,000)
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
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			(510,200)	(293,293)
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			0	0
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			338,174	251,237
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(338,174)	(251,237)
Restructuring reserves				0
Derivative instruments			0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			0	0
Total adjustments			(510,200)	(293,293)
Net cash provided by operating activities			(630,200)	(478,293)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Origination of finance receivables			2,676,333	2,366,693
Collections of finance receivables			(2,166,133)	(2,073,400)
Payments to Acquire Marketable Securities				0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			510,200	293,293
Repayments of Unsecured Debt			0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity			0	0
Proceeds from Securitization Debt			0
Proceeds from Other 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			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	0	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			$ 0