Supplemental Consolidating Data (Balance Sheet) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 24, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 25, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 683,134	$ 759,984	$ 790,284	$ 722,209
Marketable securities	0	5,519	5,038
Accounts receivable, net	343,124	285,106	346,176
Finance receivables, net	2,058,168	2,076,261	2,205,644
Inventories	469,091	499,917	426,547
Restricted cash	52,209	52,574	65,088
Deferred income taxes	0	0	123,609
Other current assets	182,416	174,491	139,958
Total current assets	3,788,142	3,853,852	4,102,344
Finance receivables, net	5,042,857	4,759,197	4,944,322
Property, plant and equipment, net	934,615	981,593	954,475
Goodwill	55,898	53,391	54,663
Deferred income taxes	180,575	167,729	80,831
Other long-term assets	86,272	74,478	75,591
Total assets	10,088,359	9,890,240	10,212,226
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	277,117	235,318	291,594
Accrued liabilities	573,958	486,652	506,533
Short-term debt	834,875	1,055,708	1,055,428
Current portion of long-term debt, net	1,530,401	1,084,884	700,152
Total current liabilities	3,216,351	2,862,562	2,553,707
Long-term debt, net	4,607,791	4,666,975	5,170,609
Pension liability	52,471	84,442	120,494
Postretirement healthcare benefits	162,925	173,267	182,825
Other long-term liabilities	192,001	182,836	192,223
Shareholders’ equity	1,856,820	1,920,158	1,992,368
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	10,088,359	9,890,240	10,212,226
Reportable Legal Entities | Motorcycles And Related Products Operations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	311,029	425,540	438,875	400,443
Marketable securities		5,019	5,038
Accounts receivable, net	690,152	450,186	751,770
Finance receivables, net	0	0	0
Inventories	469,091	499,917	426,547
Restricted cash	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes			61,611
Other current assets	146,012	127,606	110,060
Total current assets	1,616,284	1,508,268	1,793,901
Finance receivables, net	0	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	892,260	942,634	917,984
Goodwill	55,898	53,391	54,663
Deferred income taxes	109,116	103,487	73,639
Other long-term assets	149,257	132,835	133,441
Total assets	2,822,815	2,740,615	2,973,628
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	257,205	219,353	268,945
Accrued liabilities	479,753	395,907	419,675
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Current portion of long-term debt, net	0	0	0
Total current liabilities	736,958	615,260	688,620
Long-term debt, net	741,797	741,306	741,144
Pension liability	52,471	84,442	120,494
Postretirement healthcare benefits	162,925	173,267	182,825
Other long-term liabilities	154,696	150,391	160,784
Shareholders’ equity	973,968	975,949	1,079,761
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	2,822,815	2,740,615	2,973,628
Reportable Legal Entities | Financial Services Operations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	372,105	334,444	351,409	321,766
Marketable securities		500	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0	0
Finance receivables, net	2,058,168	2,076,261	2,205,644
Inventories	0	0	0
Restricted cash	52,209	52,574	65,088
Deferred income taxes			61,998
Other current assets	46,956	46,934	41,305
Total current assets	2,529,438	2,510,713	2,725,444
Finance receivables, net	5,042,857	4,759,197	4,944,322
Property, plant and equipment, net	42,355	38,959	36,491
Goodwill	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	73,424	66,152	9,066
Other long-term assets	22,499	24,769	24,605
Total assets	7,710,573	7,399,790	7,739,928
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	366,940	181,045	428,243
Accrued liabilities	104,814	90,910	98,268
Short-term debt	834,875	1,055,708	1,055,428
Current portion of long-term debt, net	1,530,401	1,084,884	700,152
Total current liabilities	2,837,030	2,412,547	2,282,091
Long-term debt, net	3,865,994	3,925,669	4,429,465
Pension liability	0	0	0
Postretirement healthcare benefits	0	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	34,071	29,697	28,425
Shareholders’ equity	973,478	1,031,877	999,947
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	7,710,573	7,399,790	7,739,928
Eliminations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	$ 0
Marketable securities		0	0
Accounts receivable, net	(347,028)	(165,080)	(405,594)
Finance receivables, net	0	0	0
Inventories	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes			0
Other current assets	(10,552)	(49)	(11,407)
Total current assets	(357,580)	(165,129)	(417,001)
Finance receivables, net	0	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0	0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(1,965)	(1,910)	(1,874)
Other long-term assets	(85,484)	(83,126)	(82,455)
Total assets	(445,029)	(250,165)	(501,330)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(347,028)	(165,080)	(405,594)
Accrued liabilities	(10,609)	(165)	(11,410)
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Current portion of long-term debt, net	0	0	0
Total current liabilities	(357,637)	(165,245)	(417,004)
Long-term debt, net	0	0	0
Pension liability	0	0	0
Postretirement healthcare benefits	0	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	3,234	2,748	3,014
Shareholders’ equity	(90,626)	(87,668)	(87,340)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ (445,029)	$ (250,165)	$ (501,330)