Supplemental Consolidating Data (Balance Sheet) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 26, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Jun. 28, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 864,670	$ 722,209	$ 1,247,579	$ 906,680
Marketable securities	5,070	45,192	52,516
Accounts receivable, net	311,956	247,405	277,569
Finance receivables, net	2,457,974	2,053,582	2,331,723
Inventories	371,196	585,907	395,044
Restricted cash	78,078	88,267	136,760
Deferred income taxes	116,214	102,769	94,778
Other current assets	153,866	132,552	154,009
Total current assets	4,359,024	3,977,883	4,689,978
Finance receivables, net	4,824,071	4,814,571	4,816,772
Property, plant and equipment, net	951,309	942,418	873,007
Goodwill	54,542	54,182	26,105
Deferred income taxes	83,047	99,614	66,755
Other long-term assets	76,447	84,309	76,577
Total assets	10,348,440	9,972,977	10,549,194
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	273,696	235,614	407,636
Accrued liabilities	485,811	471,964	448,737
Short-term debt	1,020,487	1,201,380	114,983
Current portion of long-term debt, net	732,773	838,349	1,544,956
Total current liabilities	2,512,767	2,747,307	2,516,312
Long-term debt, net	5,308,063	4,832,469	4,551,083
Pension liability	129,465	164,888	66,786
Postretirement healthcare benefits	188,846	193,659	196,369
Other long-term liabilities	188,292	195,000	195,017
Shareholders’ equity	2,021,007	1,839,654	3,023,627
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	10,348,440	9,972,977	10,549,194
Reportable Legal Entities | Motorcycles And Related Products Operations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	445,662	400,443	828,289	573,895
Marketable securities	5,070	45,192	52,516
Accounts receivable, net	816,439	390,799	743,341
Finance receivables, net	0	0	0
Inventories	371,196	585,907	395,044
Restricted cash	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	60,497	56,319	51,667
Other current assets	124,923	90,824	126,856
Total current assets	1,823,787	1,569,484	2,197,713
Finance receivables, net	0	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	916,388	906,972	841,361
Goodwill	54,542	54,182	26,105
Deferred income taxes	76,194	86,075	57,587
Other long-term assets	133,540	133,753	121,264
Total assets	3,004,451	2,750,466	3,244,030
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	239,380	220,050	306,335
Accrued liabilities	397,645	387,137	369,467
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Current portion of long-term debt, net	0	0	0
Total current liabilities	637,025	607,187	675,802
Long-term debt, net	740,982	740,653	0
Pension liability	129,465	164,888	66,786
Postretirement healthcare benefits	188,846	193,659	196,369
Other long-term liabilities	157,835	166,440	168,043
Shareholders’ equity	1,150,298	877,639	2,137,030
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	3,004,451	2,750,466	3,244,030
Reportable Legal Entities | Financial Services Operations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	419,008	321,766	419,290	332,785
Marketable securities	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0	0
Finance receivables, net	2,457,974	2,053,582	2,331,723
Inventories	0	0	0
Restricted cash	78,078	88,267	136,760
Deferred income taxes	55,717	46,450	43,111
Other current assets	38,203	43,807	34,029
Total current assets	3,048,980	2,553,872	2,964,913
Finance receivables, net	4,824,071	4,814,571	4,816,772
Property, plant and equipment, net	34,921	35,446	31,646
Goodwill	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	8,555	15,681	10,861
Other long-term assets	24,744	31,158	34,576
Total assets	7,941,271	7,450,728	7,858,768
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	538,799	158,958	567,073
Accrued liabilities	97,150	89,048	87,839
Short-term debt	1,020,487	1,201,380	114,983
Current portion of long-term debt, net	732,773	838,349	1,544,956
Total current liabilities	2,389,209	2,287,735	2,314,851
Long-term debt, net	4,567,081	4,091,816	4,551,083
Pension liability	0	0	0
Postretirement healthcare benefits	0	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	27,621	28,560	26,974
Shareholders’ equity	957,360	1,042,617	965,860
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	7,941,271	7,450,728	7,858,768
Eliminations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	$ 0
Marketable securities	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	(504,483)	(143,394)	(465,772)
Finance receivables, net	0	0	0
Inventories	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0	0
Other current assets	(9,260)	(2,079)	(6,876)
Total current assets	(513,743)	(145,473)	(472,648)
Finance receivables, net	0	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0	0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(1,702)	(2,142)	(1,693)
Other long-term assets	(81,837)	(80,602)	(79,263)
Total assets	(597,282)	(228,217)	(553,604)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(504,483)	(143,394)	(465,772)
Accrued liabilities	(8,984)	(4,221)	(8,569)
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Current portion of long-term debt, net	0	0	0
Total current liabilities	(513,467)	(147,615)	(474,341)
Long-term debt, net	0	0	0
Pension liability	0	0	0
Postretirement healthcare benefits	0	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	2,836	0	0
Shareholders’ equity	(86,651)	(80,602)	(79,263)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ (597,282)	$ (228,217)	$ (553,604)