Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 24, 2017	Sep. 25, 2016	Sep. 24, 2017	Sep. 25, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 68,209	$ 114,065	$ 513,445	$ 644,985
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			163,974	154,565
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			62,052	65,445
Amortization of financing origination fees			6,112	7,212
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Cost (Reversal of Cost)			22,427	28,508
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			(43,060)	(47,658)
Stock compensation expense			25,581	24,909
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			36,678	(169,599)
Provision for credit losses	29,253	36,543	99,059	97,127
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization			0	(9,269)
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt			0	(118)
Deferred income taxes			(5,151)	(11,261)
Other, net			(11,122)	(23,270)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			(29,167)	(86,796)
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other			317	364
Inventories			50,016	173,975
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			88,758	97,190
Derivative instruments			2,752	(1,992)
Other			(33,596)	(16,744)
Total adjustments			435,630	282,824
Net cash provided by operating activities			949,075	927,809
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(114,022)	(162,726)
Origination of finance receivables			(2,927,372)	(3,009,479)
Collections on finance receivables			2,480,122	2,440,466
Proceeds from finance receivables sold			0	312,571
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			6,916	40,014
Other			356	251
Net cash used by investing activities			(554,000)	(378,903)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			893,668	1,193,396
Repayments of medium-term notes			(400,000)	(451,336)
Repayments of securitization debt			(367,298)	(535,616)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			(225,038)	(146,328)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			371,253	33,428
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(129,690)	(55,170)
Net change in restricted cash			3,767	30,981
Dividends paid			(190,121)	(190,387)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(465,167)	(374,234)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments			0	1,291
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			7,884	6,444
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			(500,742)	(487,531)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			28,817	6,700
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(76,850)	68,075
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			759,984	722,209
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			(76,850)	68,075
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	683,134	790,284	683,134	790,284
Reportable Legal Entities | Motorcycles And Related Products Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	111,379	71,695	580,724	697,061
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			158,938	148,851
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees			491	491
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Cost (Reversal of Cost)			22,427	28,508
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			(43,060)	(47,658)
Stock compensation expense			23,223	23,056
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
Deferred income taxes			3,450	(574)
Other, net			(14,671)	(24,157)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			(211,115)	(348,996)
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			50,016	173,975
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			75,957	74,269
Derivative instruments			2,708	(1,992)
Other			(45,830)	(18,924)
Total adjustments			22,534	6,849
Net cash provided by operating activities			603,258	703,910
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(105,591)	(155,967)
Origination of finance receivables			0	0
Collections on finance receivables			0	0
Proceeds from finance receivables sold				0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			6,916	40,014
Other			356	251
Net cash used by investing activities			(98,319)	(115,702)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			0	0
Repayments of medium-term notes			0	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			(190,121)	(190,387)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(465,167)	(374,234)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments				1,291
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			7,884	6,444
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			(647,404)	(556,886)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			27,954	7,110
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(114,511)	38,432
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			425,540	400,443
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			(114,511)	38,432
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	311,029	438,875	311,029	438,875
Reportable Legal Entities | Financial Services Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	47,307	42,441	129,322	131,163
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			5,036	5,714
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			62,052	65,445
Amortization of financing origination fees			5,621	6,721
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Cost (Reversal of Cost)			0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			0	0
Stock compensation expense			2,358	1,853
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	29,253	36,543	99,059	97,127
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization				(9,269)
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt				(118)
Deferred income taxes			(8,656)	(10,419)
Other, net			2,946	648
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			0	0
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other			317	364
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			199,855	277,142
Derivative instruments			44	0
Other			1,731	2,180
Total adjustments			370,363	437,624
Net cash provided by operating activities			499,685	568,787
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(8,431)	(6,759)
Origination of finance receivables			(5,791,241)	(6,297,040)
Collections on finance receivables			5,386,123	5,566,139
Proceeds from finance receivables sold				312,571
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash used by investing activities			(413,549)	(425,089)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			893,668	1,193,396
Repayments of medium-term notes			(400,000)	(451,336)
Repayments of securitization debt			(367,298)	(535,616)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			(225,038)	(146,328)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			371,253	33,428
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(129,690)	(55,170)
Net change in restricted cash			3,767	30,981
Dividends paid			(196,000)	(183,000)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments				0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			(49,338)	(113,645)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			863	(410)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			37,661	29,643
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			334,444	321,766
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			37,661	29,643
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	372,105	351,409	372,105	351,409
Eliminations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(90,477)	(71)	(196,601)	(183,239)
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
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Cost (Reversal of Cost)			0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			0	0
Stock compensation expense			0	0
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			36,678	(169,599)
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization				0
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt				0
Deferred income taxes			55	(268)
Other, net			603	239
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			181,948	262,200
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(187,054)	(254,221)
Derivative instruments			0	0
Other			10,503	0
Total adjustments			42,733	(161,649)
Net cash provided by operating activities			(153,868)	(344,888)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Origination of finance receivables			2,863,869	3,287,561
Collections on finance receivables			(2,906,001)	(3,125,673)
Proceeds from finance receivables sold				0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash used by investing activities			(42,132)	161,888
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			0	0
Repayments of medium-term notes			0	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			196,000	183,000
Purchase of common stock for treasury			0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments				0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			196,000	183,000
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