Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 28, 2015	Jun. 29, 2014	Jun. 28, 2015	Jun. 29, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes			$ 0	$ (7,220)
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			(1,195)	(3,894)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 299,810	$ 354,153	569,664	620,070
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			93,640	87,123
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			47,524	45,713
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			4,820	4,284
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			24,635	16,854
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(12,725)	(14,035)
Stock compensation expense			16,734	20,768
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(418,969)	(510,200)
Provision for credit losses	15,175	15,961	41,422	36,292
Foreign currency adjustments			11,041	(5,084)
Other, net			(1,964)	9,332
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(43,309)	(25,643)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			(270)	(993)
Inventories			38,012	58,741
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			232,357	226,233
Derivative instruments			1,185	968
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			(11,342)	(2,918)
Total adjustments			44,280	(49,478)
Net cash provided by operating activities			613,944	570,592
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(85,180)	(74,523)
Origination of finance receivables			(1,976,563)	(1,904,577)
Collections of finance receivables			1,570,431	1,518,186
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			4,500	41,010
Other			5,111	145
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			(481,701)	(419,759)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt			0	(303,000)
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			595,386	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity			0	0
Proceeds from Securitization Debt			1,195,668	847,126
Proceeds from Other Debt				847,126
Repayments of Securitization Debt			(454,332)	(393,655)
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper			40,209	36,800
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt			(616,586)	(48,134)
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			35,730
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(35,730)	(37,317)
Net change in restricted cash			(40,159)	(9,874)
Dividends paid			(129,745)	(120,631)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(358,425)	(223,736)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			2,401	8,652
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			15,664	27,907
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			40,209	36,800
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities			214,351	(223,082)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(5,695)	4,983
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			340,899	(67,266)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			906,680	1,066,612
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			340,899	(67,266)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	1,247,579	999,346	1,247,579	999,346
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0	1,145
Motorcycles And Related Products Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes				0
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			5,832	(3,894)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	249,849	308,472	577,098	655,526
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			88,996	83,348
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			0	59
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			24,635	16,854
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(12,725)	(14,035)
Stock compensation expense			15,415	19,393
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Foreign currency adjustments			11,041	939
Other, net			(2,671)	4,712
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(347,967)	(363,817)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			38,012	58,741
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			144,784	189,117
Derivative instruments			1,185	968
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			(9,625)	(4,962)
Total adjustments			(23,838)	(2,653)
Net cash provided by operating activities			553,260	652,873
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(83,282)	(71,395)
Origination of finance receivables			0	0
Collections of finance receivables			0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			4,500	41,010
Other			5,111	145
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			(73,671)	(30,240)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt				(303,000)
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity			250,000	(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			(129,745)	(120,631)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(358,425)	(223,736)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			2,401	8,652
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			15,664	27,907
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities			(220,105)	(710,808)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(5,090)	4,968
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			254,394	(83,207)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			573,895	718,912
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			254,394	(83,207)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	828,289	635,705	828,289	635,705
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt				0
Financial Services Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes				(7,220)
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			(7,027)	0
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	49,961	45,681	92,566	84,544
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			4,644	3,775
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			47,524	45,713
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			4,820	4,225
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			0	0
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			0	0
Stock compensation expense			1,319	1,375
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	15,175	15,961	41,422	36,292
Foreign currency adjustments			0	(6,023)
Other, net			707	4,620
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			0	0
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			(270)	(993)
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			385,999	375,290
Derivative instruments			0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			(1,717)	2,044
Total adjustments			480,855	463,375
Net cash provided by operating activities			573,421	547,919
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(1,898)	(3,128)
Origination of finance receivables			(4,526,313)	(4,580,910)
Collections of finance receivables			3,707,444	3,684,319
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			(820,767)	(899,719)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt				0
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			595,386
Cash flows from financing activities:
Intercompany Borrowing Activity			(250,000)	100,000
Proceeds from Securitization Debt			1,195,668
Proceeds from Other Debt				847,126
Repayments of Securitization Debt			(454,332)	(393,655)
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper			40,209	36,800
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt			(616,586)	(48,134)
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			35,730
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper				(37,317)
Net change in restricted cash			(40,159)	(9,874)
Dividends paid			(100,000)	(120,000)
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 by (used by) financing activities			334,456	367,726
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(605)	15
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			86,505	15,941
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			332,785	347,700
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			86,505	15,941
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	419,290	363,641	419,290	363,641
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt				1,145
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes				0
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			0	0
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	0	0	(100,000)	(120,000)
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			(418,969)	(510,200)
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			304,658	338,174
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(298,426)	(338,174)
Derivative instruments			0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			0	0
Total adjustments			(412,737)	(510,200)
Net cash provided by operating activities			(512,737)	(630,200)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Origination of finance receivables			2,549,750	2,676,333
Collections of finance receivables			(2,137,013)	(2,166,133)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			412,737	510,200
Repayments of Unsecured Debt				0
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			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			100,000	120,000
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 by (used by) financing activities			100,000	120,000
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