Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 27, 2015	Sep. 28, 2014	Sep. 27, 2015	Sep. 28, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes			$ (600,000)	$ (7,220)
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			(9,272)	(12,030)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 140,347	$ 150,066	710,011	770,136
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			142,024	130,688
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			71,012	70,330
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			7,331	6,405
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			36,954	25,281
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(19,358)	(22,528)
Stock compensation expense			23,732	27,862
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(157,532)	(194,711)
Provision for credit losses	27,233	21,497	68,655	57,789
Foreign currency adjustments			22,010	12,948
Other, net			5,000	11,535
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(60,687)	(40,015)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			(98)	(2,077)
Inventories			(36,109)	(48,095)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			211,045	191,354
Derivative instruments			(6,734)	(1,813)
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			(12,973)	17,336
Total adjustments			310,946	196,732
Net cash provided by operating activities			1,020,957	966,868
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(139,054)	(120,316)
Origination of finance receivables			(3,112,827)	(2,918,881)
Collections of finance receivables			2,393,355	2,308,237
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			9,500	41,010
Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates			(59,910)
Other			5,172	275
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			(903,764)	(689,675)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt			0	(303,000)
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt			740,949	0
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			595,386	594,431
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			(764,909)	(631,302)
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper			69,191	57,669
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt			258,734	(315,278)
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			55,124
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(55,124)	(58,717)
Net change in restricted cash			(15,165)	2,521
Dividends paid			(191,451)	(179,860)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(894,565)	(393,459)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			2,878	8,873
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			16,755	28,850
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			69,191	57,669
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities			358,347	(349,366)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(13,666)	(14,573)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			461,874	(86,746)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			906,680	1,066,612
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			461,874	(86,746)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	1,368,554	979,866	1,368,554	979,866
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	0
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			2,951	(1,317)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	95,943	102,373	673,040	757,899
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			135,232	125,005
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			107	59
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			36,954	25,281
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(19,358)	(22,528)
Stock compensation expense			21,723	25,770
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Foreign currency adjustments			22,010	12,948
Other, net			3,778	6,246
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(331,347)	(231,716)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			(36,109)	(48,095)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			141,577	104,795
Derivative instruments			(6,734)	(1,813)
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			(11,293)	15,341
Total adjustments			(17,923)	(20,706)
Net cash provided by operating activities			655,117	737,193
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(134,164)	(115,596)
Origination of finance receivables			0	0
Collections of finance receivables			0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			9,500	41,010
Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates			(59,910)
Other			5,172	275
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			(179,402)	(74,311)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt				(303,000)
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt			740,949
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			0	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			(191,451)	(179,860)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(894,565)	(393,459)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			2,878	8,873
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			16,755	28,850
Net cash provided by (used by) financing activities			(75,434)	(738,596)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(10,816)	(13,064)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			389,465	(88,778)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			573,895	718,912
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			389,465	(88,778)
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	963,360	630,134	963,360	630,134
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt				0
Financial Services Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes			(600,000)	(7,220)
Deferred Income Taxes and Tax Credits			(12,223)	(10,713)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	44,404	47,693	136,971	132,237
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation			6,792	5,683
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			71,012	70,330
Amortization Of Financing Origination Fees			7,224	6,346
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			0	0
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			0	0
Stock compensation expense			2,009	2,092
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	27,233	21,497	68,655	57,789
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			1,222	5,289
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			0	0
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			(98)	(2,077)
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			319,734	275,994
Derivative instruments			0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			(1,680)	1,995
Total adjustments			466,007	409,883
Net cash provided by operating activities			602,978	542,120
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(4,890)	(4,720)
Origination of finance receivables			(6,512,799)	(6,417,038)
Collections of finance receivables			5,656,189	5,613,949
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates			0
Other			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			(861,500)	(807,809)
Repayments of Unsecured Debt				0
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt			0
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			595,386	594,431
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			(764,909)	(631,302)
borrowings of asset backed commercial paper			69,191	57,669
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Credit Facility and Other Unsecured Debt			258,734	(315,278)
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			55,124
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper				(58,717)
Net change in restricted cash			(15,165)	2,521
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			333,781	269,230
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(2,850)	(1,509)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			72,409	2,032
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			332,785	347,700
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			72,409	2,032
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	405,194	349,732	405,194	349,732
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt				1,145
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Repayments of Medium-term Notes			0	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	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			(157,532)	(194,711)
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			270,660	191,701
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(250,266)	(189,435)
Derivative instruments			0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expenses, Other			0	0
Total adjustments			(137,138)	(192,445)
Net cash provided by operating activities			(237,138)	(312,445)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Origination of finance receivables			3,399,972	3,498,157
Collections of finance receivables			(3,262,834)	(3,305,712)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates			0
Other			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities			137,138	192,445
Repayments of Unsecured Debt				0
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt			0
Proceeds from Issuance of Medium-term Notes			0	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