Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 28, 2014	Sep. 29, 2013	Sep. 28, 2014	Sep. 29, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes			$ (7,220)	$ (27,858)
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			(12,030)	0
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	150,066	162,716	770,136	658,584
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			130,688	122,658
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			70,330	63,548
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			6,405	6,994
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			25,281	50,158
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(22,528)	(197,243)
Stock compensation expense			27,862	31,030
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(194,711)	(71,869)
Provision for credit losses	21,497	14,604	57,789	39,011
Foreign currency adjustments			12,948	12,874
Other, net			11,535	(63)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(40,015)	(65,835)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			(2,077)	937
Inventories			(48,095)	(19,233)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			191,354	142,277
Restructuring reserves			0	(24,521)
Derivative instruments			(1,813)	(1,818)
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			17,336	(72,667)
Total adjustments			196,732	166,519
Net cash provided by operating activities			966,868	825,103
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(120,316)	(111,690)
Origination of finance receivables			(2,918,881)	(2,617,100)
Collections of finance receivables			2,308,237	2,170,919
Payments to Acquire Marketable Securities			0	4,998
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			41,010	17,105
Other			275	6,721
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			(689,675)	(539,043)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt			(303,000)	0
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			594,431	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			(631,302)	(650,424)
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper			57,669	69,555
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt			(315,278)	99,416
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			58,717
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(58,717)	(58,990)
Net change in restricted cash			2,521	(6,321)
Dividends paid			(179,860)	(140,772)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(393,459)	(302,196)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			8,873	18,444
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			28,850	39,145
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			57,669	69,555
Net cash used by financing activities			(349,366)	(312,485)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(14,573)	(11,758)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(86,746)	(38,183)
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			(86,746)	(38,183)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	979,866	1,029,955	979,866	1,029,955
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			(1,317)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	102,373	115,879	757,899	706,938
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			125,005	118,224
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			59	355
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			25,281	50,158
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(22,528)	(197,243)
Stock compensation expense			25,770	28,886
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Foreign currency adjustments			12,948	12,874
Other, net			6,246	207
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(231,716)	(302,434)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			(48,095)	(19,233)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			104,795	113,902
Restructuring reserves				(24,521)
Derivative instruments			(1,813)	(1,790)
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			15,341	(74,205)
Total adjustments			(20,706)	(146,410)
Net cash provided by operating activities			737,193	560,528
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(115,596)	(107,886)
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	17,105
Other			275	6,721
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			(74,311)	(89,058)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt			(303,000)
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity			100,000	(150,000)
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			(179,860)	(140,772)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(393,459)	(302,196)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			8,873	18,444
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			28,850	39,145
Net cash used by financing activities			(738,596)	(535,379)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(13,064)	(10,846)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(88,778)	(74,755)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			718,912	727,716
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(88,778)	(74,755)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	630,134	652,961	630,134	652,961
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			(10,713)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Income	47,693	46,837	132,237	136,646
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			5,683	4,434
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			70,330	63,548
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			6,346	6,639
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			0	0
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			0	0
Stock compensation expense			2,092	2,144
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	21,497	14,604	57,789	39,011
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			5,289	(270)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			0	0
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			(2,077)	937
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			275,994	264,974
Restructuring reserves				0
Derivative instruments			0	(28)
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			1,995	1,538
Total adjustments			409,883	384,798
Net cash provided by operating activities			542,120	521,444
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(4,720)	(3,804)
Origination of finance receivables			(6,417,038)	(5,832,489)
Collections of finance receivables			5,613,949	5,314,439
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			(807,809)	(521,854)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt			0
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			594,431
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity			(100,000)	150,000
Proceeds from Securitization Debt			847,126
Proceeds from Other Debt				647,516
Repayments of Securitization Debt			(631,302)	(650,424)
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper			57,669	69,555
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt			(315,278)	99,416
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			58,717
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper				(58,990)
Net change in restricted cash			2,521	(6,321)
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 financing activities			269,230	37,894
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(1,509)	(912)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			2,032	36,572
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			347,700	340,422
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			2,032	36,572
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	349,732	376,994	349,732	376,994
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			1,145	4,947
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			0
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			(194,711)	(71,869)
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			191,701	236,599
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(189,435)	(236,599)
Restructuring reserves				0
Derivative instruments			0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			0	0
Total adjustments			(192,445)	(71,869)
Net cash provided by operating activities			(312,445)	(256,869)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Origination of finance receivables			3,498,157	3,215,389
Collections of finance receivables			(3,305,712)	(3,143,520)
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			192,445	71,869
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 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