Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 25, 2016	Sep. 27, 2015	Sep. 25, 2016	Sep. 27, 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 114,065	$ 140,347	$ 644,985	$ 710,011
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			154,565	142,024
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			65,445	71,012
Amortization of financing origination fees			7,212	7,331
Provision for long-term employee benefits			27,608	36,954
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			(47,658)	(19,358)
Stock compensation expense			24,909	23,732
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(169,599)	(157,532)
Provision for credit losses	36,543	27,233	97,127	68,655
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization			(9,269)	0
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt			(118)	0
Pension plan settlement expense			900	0
Deferred income taxes			(11,261)	(9,272)
Foreign currency adjustments			(11,741)	22,010
Other, net			(11,529)	5,000
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			(86,796)	(60,687)
Finance receivables—accrued interest and other			364	(98)
Inventories			173,975	(36,109)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			97,190	211,045
Derivative instruments			(1,992)	(6,734)
Other			(16,744)	12,973
Total adjustments			282,824	310,946
Net cash provided by operating activities			927,809	1,020,957
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(162,726)	(139,054)
Origination of finance receivables			(3,009,479)	(3,112,827)
Collections on finance receivables			2,440,466	2,393,355
Proceeds from finance receivables sold			312,571	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			40,014	9,500
Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates			0	59,910
Other			251	5,172
Net cash used by investing activities			(378,903)	(903,764)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt			0	740,949
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			(451,336)	(600,000)
Repayments of securitization debt			(535,616)	(764,909)
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			(146,328)	258,734
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			33,428	69,191
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(55,170)	(55,124)
Net change in restricted cash			30,981	(15,165)
Dividends paid			(190,387)	(191,451)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(374,234)	(894,565)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments			1,291	2,878
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			6,444	16,755
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			(487,531)	358,347
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			6,700	(13,666)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			68,075	461,874
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			722,209	906,680
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			68,075	461,874
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	790,284	1,368,554	790,284	1,368,554
Reportable Legal Entities | Motorcycles And Related Products Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	71,695	95,943	697,061	673,040
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			148,851	135,232
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees			491	107
Provision for long-term employee benefits			27,608	36,954
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			(47,658)	(19,358)
Stock compensation expense			23,056	21,723
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
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt			0
Pension plan settlement expense			900
Deferred income taxes			(574)	2,951
Foreign currency adjustments			(11,741)	22,010
Other, net			(12,416)	3,778
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			(348,996)	(331,347)
Finance receivables—accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			173,975	(36,109)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			74,269	141,577
Derivative instruments			(1,992)	(6,734)
Other			(18,924)	11,293
Total adjustments			6,849	(17,923)
Net cash provided by operating activities			703,910	655,117
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(155,967)	(134,164)
Origination of finance receivables			0	0
Collections on finance receivables			0	0
Proceeds from finance receivables sold			0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			40,014	9,500
Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates				59,910
Other			251	5,172
Net cash used by investing activities			(115,702)	(179,402)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt				740,949
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	0
Repayments of securitization debt			0	0
Net (decrease) increase 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			(190,387)	(191,451)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(374,234)	(894,565)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments			1,291	2,878
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			6,444	16,755
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			(556,886)	(75,434)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			7,110	(10,816)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			38,432	389,465
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			400,443	573,895
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			38,432	389,465
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	438,875	963,360	438,875	963,360
Reportable Legal Entities | Financial Services Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	42,441	44,404	131,163	136,971
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			5,714	6,792
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			65,445	71,012
Amortization of financing origination fees			6,721	7,224
Provision for long-term employee benefits			0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			0	0
Stock compensation expense			1,853	2,009
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	36,543	27,233	97,127	68,655
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization			(9,269)
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt			(118)
Pension plan settlement expense			0
Deferred income taxes			(10,419)	(12,223)
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			648	1,222
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			0	0
Finance receivables—accrued interest and other			364	(98)
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			277,142	319,734
Derivative instruments			0	0
Other			2,180	1,680
Total adjustments			437,624	466,007
Net cash provided by operating activities			568,787	602,978
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(6,759)	(4,890)
Origination of finance receivables			(6,297,040)	(6,512,799)
Collections on finance receivables			5,566,139	5,656,189
Proceeds from finance receivables sold			312,571
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates				0
Other			0	0
Net cash used by investing activities			(425,089)	(861,500)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt				0
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			(451,336)	(600,000)
Repayments of securitization debt			(535,616)	(764,909)
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			(146,328)	258,734
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			33,428	69,191
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(55,170)	(55,124)
Net change in restricted cash			30,981	(15,165)
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			(113,645)	333,781
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(410)	(2,850)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			29,643	72,409
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			321,766	332,785
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			29,643	72,409
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	351,409	405,194	351,409	405,194
Eliminations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(71)	0	(183,239)	(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 long-term employee 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			(169,599)	(157,532)
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization			0
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt			0
Pension plan settlement expense			0
Deferred income taxes			(268)	0
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			239	0
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			262,200	270,660
Finance receivables—accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(254,221)	(250,266)
Derivative instruments			0	0
Other			0	0
Total adjustments			(161,649)	(137,138)
Net cash provided by operating activities			(344,888)	(237,138)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Origination of finance receivables			3,287,561	3,399,972
Collections on finance receivables			(3,125,673)	(3,262,834)
Proceeds from finance receivables sold			0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates				0
Other			0	0
Net cash used by investing activities			161,888	137,138
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt				0
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			0	0
Intercompany borrowing activity				0
Proceeds from securitization debt				0
Repayments of medium-term notes			0	0
Repayments of securitization debt			0	0
Net (decrease) increase 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