Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 26, 2016	Jun. 28, 2015	Jun. 26, 2016	Jun. 28, 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 280,431	$ 299,810	$ 530,920	$ 569,664
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			100,956	93,640
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			43,555	47,524
Amortization of financing origination fees			5,146	4,820
Provision for employee long-term benefits			18,405	24,635
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			(35,189)	(12,725)
Stock compensation expense			15,797	16,734
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(442,254)	(418,969)
Provision for credit losses	23,461	15,175	60,584	41,422
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization			(9,269)	0
Pension plan settlement expense			600	0
Deferred income taxes			(3,548)	(1,195)
Foreign currency adjustments			(7,966)	11,041
Other, net			(12,542)	(1,964)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			(55,109)	(43,309)
Finance receivables—accrued interest and other			(125)	(270)
Inventories			225,586	38,012
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			53,790	232,357
Derivative instruments			(1,474)	1,185
Other			(31,573)	11,342
Total adjustments			(74,630)	44,280
Net cash provided by operating activities			456,290	613,944
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(107,531)	(85,180)
Origination of finance receivables			(1,991,384)	(1,976,563)
Collections on finance receivables			1,630,213	1,570,431
Proceeds from finance receivables sold			312,571	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			40,000	4,500
Other			166	5,111
Net cash used by investing activities			(115,965)	(481,701)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			1,193,396	595,386
Intercompany borrowing activity				0
Proceeds from securitization debt			0	1,195,668
Repayments of medium-term notes			(450,000)	0
Repayments of securitization debt			(385,837)	(454,332)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			(181,259)	(616,586)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			33,428	40,209
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(34,989)	(35,730)
Net change in restricted cash			17,992	(40,159)
Dividends paid			(127,800)	(129,745)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(269,411)	(358,425)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments			331	2,401
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			2,367	15,664
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			(201,782)	214,351
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			3,918	(5,695)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			142,461	340,899
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			722,209	906,680
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			142,461	340,899
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	864,670	1,247,579	864,670	1,247,579
Reportable Legal Entities | Motorcycles And Related Products Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	268,263	249,849	625,366	577,098
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			97,025	88,996
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees			330	0
Provision for employee long-term benefits			18,405	24,635
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			(35,189)	(12,725)
Stock compensation expense			14,562	15,415
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization			0
Pension plan settlement expense			600
Deferred income taxes			798	5,832
Foreign currency adjustments			(7,966)	11,041
Other, net			(12,539)	(2,671)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			(416,198)	(347,967)
Finance receivables—accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			225,586	38,012
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			23,420	144,784
Derivative instruments			(1,474)	1,185
Other			(33,237)	9,625
Total adjustments			(125,877)	(23,838)
Net cash provided by operating activities			499,489	553,260
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(104,125)	(83,282)
Origination of finance receivables			0	0
Collections on finance receivables			0	0
Proceeds from finance receivables sold			0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			40,000	4,500
Other			166	5,111
Net cash used by investing activities			(63,959)	(73,671)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			0	0
Intercompany borrowing activity				250,000
Proceeds from securitization debt				0
Repayments of medium-term notes			0
Repayments of securitization debt			0	0
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			0	0
Net change in restricted cash			0	0
Dividends paid			(127,800)	(129,745)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(269,411)	(358,425)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments			331	2,401
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			2,367	15,664
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			(394,513)	(220,105)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			4,202	(5,090)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			45,219	254,394
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			400,443	573,895
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			45,219	254,394
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	445,662	828,289	445,662	828,289
Reportable Legal Entities | Financial Services Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	55,581	49,961	88,722	92,566
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			3,931	4,644
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			43,555	47,524
Amortization of financing origination fees			4,816	4,820
Provision for employee long-term benefits			0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			0	0
Stock compensation expense			1,235	1,319
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	23,461	15,175	60,584	41,422
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization			(9,269)
Pension plan settlement expense			0
Deferred income taxes			(3,906)	(7,027)
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			(171)	707
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			0	0
Finance receivables—accrued interest and other			(125)	(270)
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			385,992	385,999
Derivative instruments			0	0
Other			1,664	1,717
Total adjustments			488,306	480,855
Net cash provided by operating activities			577,028	573,421
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(3,406)	(1,898)
Origination of finance receivables			(4,507,717)	(4,526,313)
Collections on finance receivables			3,709,319	3,707,444
Proceeds from finance receivables sold			312,571
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash used by investing activities			(489,233)	(820,767)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			1,193,396	595,386
Intercompany borrowing activity				(250,000)
Proceeds from securitization debt				1,195,668
Repayments of medium-term notes			(450,000)
Repayments of securitization debt			(385,837)	(454,332)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			(181,259)	(616,586)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			33,428	40,209
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(34,989)	(35,730)
Net change in restricted cash			17,992	(40,159)
Dividends paid			(183,000)	(100,000)
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			9,731	334,456
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(284)	(605)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			97,242	86,505
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			321,766	332,785
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			97,242	86,505
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	419,008	419,290	419,008	419,290
Eliminations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(43,413)	0	(183,168)	(100,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			0	0
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees			0	0
Provision for employee long-term benefits			0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			0	0
Stock compensation expense			0	0
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(442,254)	(418,969)
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization			0
Pension plan settlement expense			0
Deferred income taxes			(440)	0
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			168	0
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			361,089	304,658
Finance receivables—accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(355,622)	(298,426)
Derivative instruments			0	0
Other			0	0
Total adjustments			(437,059)	(412,737)
Net cash provided by operating activities			(620,227)	(512,737)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Origination of finance receivables			2,516,333	2,549,750
Collections on finance receivables			(2,079,106)	(2,137,013)
Proceeds from finance receivables sold			0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash used by investing activities			437,227	412,737
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			0	0
Intercompany borrowing activity				0
Proceeds from securitization debt				0
Repayments of medium-term notes			0
Repayments of securitization debt			0	0
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			0	0
Net change in restricted cash			0	0
Dividends paid			183,000	100,000
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			183,000	100,000
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 in cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0