Supplemental Consolidating Data - Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Jul. 01, 2018	Apr. 01, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jul. 01, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 195,631	$ 127,945	$ 242,338	$ 174,763	$ 323,576	$ 417,101
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles					125,386	130,061
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs					38,036	39,396
Amortization of financing origination fees					4,522	4,133
Provision for long-term employee benefits					6,936	18,954
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments					(3,637)	(6,422)
Stock compensation expense					17,285	19,081
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales					(167,594)	(171,195)
Provision for credit losses	26,383		18,880		60,874	48,932
Deferred income taxes					5,368	1,515
Other, net					(10,477)	20,894
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net					(17,592)	(14,882)
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other					(4,963)	4,228
Inventories					88,146	63,957
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities					34,370	161,101
Derivative instruments					4,352	(136)
Other					(8,356)	(859)
Total adjustments					172,656	318,758
Net cash provided by operating activities					496,232	735,859
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures					(83,229)	(69,293)
Origination of finance receivables					(2,064,899)	(1,999,786)
Collections on finance receivables					1,768,829	1,712,884
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities					10,007	0
Acquisition of business					(7,000)	0
Other					11,717	(11,758)
Net cash used by investing activities					(364,575)	(367,953)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes					546,655	1,144,018
Repayments of medium-term notes					(750,000)	(877,488)
Proceeds from securitization debt					1,021,353	0
Repayments of securitization debt					(113,806)	(183,453)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper					23,373	120,903
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper					(155,286)	(100,660)
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper					(728,606)	56,280
Dividends paid					(120,841)	(124,680)
Purchase of common stock for treasury					(104,621)	(111,227)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans					833	1,965
Net cash used by financing activities					(380,946)	(74,342)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash					3,439	(10,091)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash					(245,850)	283,473
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period		1,259,748		746,210	1,259,748	746,210
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period	1,013,898		1,029,683		1,013,898	1,029,683
Motorcycles And Related Products Operations
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of business					(7,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from securitization debt					0
Financial Services Operations
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of business					0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from securitization debt					1,021,353
Reportable Legal Entities | Motorcycles And Related Products Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	184,200		181,579		313,614	419,908
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles					121,026	127,935
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs					0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees					335	331
Provision for long-term employee benefits					6,936	18,954
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments					(3,637)	(6,422)
Stock compensation expense					15,672	17,229
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales					0	0
Provision for credit losses	0		0		0	0
Deferred income taxes					5,928	(443)
Other, net					(8,545)	20,993
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net					(244,752)	(194,831)
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other					0	0
Inventories					88,146	63,957
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities					21,336	137,644
Derivative instruments					4,291	(205)
Other					(15,573)	2,924
Total adjustments					(8,837)	188,066
Net cash provided by operating activities					304,777	607,974
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures					(81,698)	(63,236)
Origination of finance receivables					0	0
Collections on finance receivables					0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities					10,007
Other					11,717	(11,758)
Net cash used by investing activities					(66,974)	(74,994)
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
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper					0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper					0	0
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper					0	0
Dividends paid					(120,841)	(124,680)
Purchase of common stock for treasury					(104,621)	(111,227)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans					833	1,965
Net cash used by financing activities					(224,629)	(233,942)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash					2,724	(9,441)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash					15,898	289,597
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period		544,548		338,186	544,548	338,186
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period	560,446		627,783		560,446	627,783
Reportable Legal Entities | Financial Services Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	56,453		60,926		99,906	107,339
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles					4,360	2,126
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs					38,036	39,396
Amortization of financing origination fees					4,187	3,802
Provision for long-term employee benefits					0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments					0	0
Stock compensation expense					1,613	1,852
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales					0	0
Provision for credit losses	26,383		18,880		60,874	48,932
Deferred income taxes					(236)	2,043
Other, net					(1,876)	(245)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net					0	0
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other					(4,963)	4,228
Inventories					0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities					221,959	192,410
Derivative instruments					61	69
Other					13,091	1,884
Total adjustments					337,106	296,497
Net cash provided by operating activities					437,012	403,836
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures					(1,531)	(6,057)
Origination of finance receivables					(3,936,208)	(4,046,125)
Collections on finance receivables					3,484,581	3,593,272
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities					0
Other					0	0
Net cash used by investing activities					(453,158)	(458,910)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes					546,655	1,144,018
Repayments of medium-term notes					(750,000)	(877,488)
Repayments of securitization debt					(113,806)	(183,453)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper					23,373	120,903
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper					(155,286)	(100,660)
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper					(728,606)	56,280
Dividends paid					(90,000)	(110,000)
Purchase of common stock for treasury					0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans					0	0
Net cash used by financing activities					(246,317)	49,600
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash					715	(650)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash					(261,748)	(6,124)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period		715,200		408,024	715,200	408,024
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period	453,452		401,900		453,452	401,900
Eliminations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(45,022)		(167)		(89,944)	(110,146)
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					(167,594)	(171,195)
Provision for credit losses	0		0		0	0
Deferred income taxes					(324)	(85)
Other, net					(56)	146
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net					227,160	179,949
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other					0	0
Inventories					0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities					(208,925)	(168,953)
Derivative instruments					0	0
Other					(5,874)	(5,667)
Total adjustments					(155,613)	(165,805)
Net cash provided by operating activities					(245,557)	(275,951)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures					0	0
Origination of finance receivables					1,871,309	2,046,339
Collections on finance receivables					(1,715,752)	(1,880,388)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities					0
Acquisition of business					0
Other					0	0
Net cash used by investing activities					155,557	165,951
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes					0	0
Repayments of medium-term notes					0	0
Proceeds from securitization debt					0
Repayments of securitization debt					0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper					0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper					0	0
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper					0	0
Dividends paid					90,000	110,000
Purchase of common stock for treasury					0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans					0	0
Net cash used by financing activities					90,000	110,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash					0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash					0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period		$ 0		$ 0	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0	$ 0