Supplemental Consolidating Data - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 29, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jul. 01, 2018	Apr. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 862,381				$ 1,203,766	$ 926,992
Marketable securities	0				10,007	10,011
Accounts receivable, net	307,616				306,474	332,309
Finance receivables, net	2,210,001				2,214,424	2,116,386
Inventories	489,098				556,128	516,247
Restricted cash	79,115				49,275	36,471
Other current assets	140,786				144,368	151,042
Total current assets	4,088,997				4,484,442	4,089,458
Finance receivables, net	5,305,579				5,007,507	5,187,176
Property, plant and equipment, net	844,446				904,132	884,960
Prepaid pension costs	0				0	140,763
Goodwill	63,727				55,048	55,318
Deferred income taxes	132,019				141,464	63,559
Lease assets	55,905			$ 60,000
Other long-term assets	85,557				73,071	82,566
Total assets	10,576,230				10,665,664	10,503,800
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	348,951				284,861	310,967
Accrued liabilities	556,990				601,130	564,832
Short-term debt	1,013,137				1,135,810	1,373,859
Current portion of long-term debt, net	1,779,673				1,575,799	1,526,156
Total current liabilities	3,698,751				3,597,600	3,775,814
Long-term debt, net	4,607,041				4,887,667	4,196,517
Lease liabilities	39,408
Pension liabilities	82,561				107,776	54,138
Postretirement healthcare benefits	89,032				94,453	112,798
Other long-term liabilities	223,218				204,219	211,561
Shareholders’ equity	1,836,219	$ 1,910,641	$ 1,797,611		1,773,949	2,152,972	$ 2,161,526	$ 1,995,949	$ 1,844,277
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	10,576,230				10,665,664	10,503,800
Reportable Legal Entities | Motorcycles And Related Products Operations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	482,106				544,548	576,670
Marketable securities					10,007	10,011
Accounts receivable, net	635,997				425,727	640,416
Finance receivables, net	0				0	0
Inventories	489,098				556,128	516,247
Restricted cash	0				0	0
Other current assets	109,724				91,172	106,259
Total current assets	1,716,925				1,627,582	1,849,603
Finance receivables, net	0				0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	791,107				847,176	833,279
Prepaid pension costs						140,763
Goodwill	63,727				55,048	55,318
Deferred income taxes	92,921				105,388	25,780
Lease assets	49,706
Other long-term assets	157,341				144,122	151,815
Total assets	2,871,727				2,779,316	3,056,558
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	314,843				258,587	291,395
Accrued liabilities	462,644				496,643	483,964
Short-term debt	0				0	0
Current portion of long-term debt, net	0				0	0
Total current liabilities	777,487				755,230	775,359
Long-term debt, net	743,127				742,624	742,458
Lease liabilities	33,296
Pension liabilities	82,561				107,776	54,138
Postretirement healthcare benefits	89,032				94,453	112,798
Other long-term liabilities	180,103				164,243	170,464
Shareholders’ equity	966,121				914,990	1,201,341
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	2,871,727				2,779,316	3,056,558
Reportable Legal Entities | Financial Services Operations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	380,275				659,218	350,322
Marketable securities					0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0				0	0
Finance receivables, net	2,210,001				2,214,424	2,116,386
Inventories	0				0	0
Restricted cash	79,115				49,275	36,471
Other current assets	46,013				59,070	44,783
Total current assets	2,715,404				2,981,987	2,547,962
Finance receivables, net	5,305,579				5,007,507	5,187,176
Property, plant and equipment, net	53,339				56,956	51,681
Prepaid pension costs						0
Goodwill	0				0	0
Deferred income taxes	40,411				37,603	39,203
Lease assets	6,199
Other long-term assets	20,401				18,680	19,799
Total assets	8,141,333				8,102,733	7,845,821
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	362,489				145,527	327,679
Accrued liabilities	108,719				110,063	80,427
Short-term debt	1,013,137				1,135,810	1,373,859
Current portion of long-term debt, net	1,779,673				1,575,799	1,526,156
Total current liabilities	3,264,018				2,967,199	3,308,121
Long-term debt, net	3,863,914				4,145,043	3,454,059
Lease liabilities	6,112
Pension liabilities	0				0	0
Postretirement healthcare benefits	0				0	0
Other long-term liabilities	40,261				37,142	38,003
Shareholders’ equity	967,028				953,349	1,045,638
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	8,141,333				8,102,733	7,845,821
Eliminations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0				0	0
Marketable securities					0	0
Accounts receivable, net	(328,381)				(119,253)	(308,107)
Finance receivables, net	0				0	0
Inventories	0				0	0
Restricted cash	0				0	0
Other current assets	(14,951)				(5,874)	0
Total current assets	(343,332)				(125,127)	(308,107)
Finance receivables, net	0				0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0				0	0
Prepaid pension costs						0
Goodwill	0				0	0
Deferred income taxes	(1,313)				(1,527)	(1,424)
Lease assets	0
Other long-term assets	(92,185)				(89,731)	(89,048)
Total assets	(436,830)				(216,385)	(398,579)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	(328,381)				(119,253)	(308,107)
Accrued liabilities	(14,373)				(5,576)	441
Short-term debt	0				0	0
Current portion of long-term debt, net	0				0	0
Total current liabilities	(342,754)				(124,829)	(307,666)
Long-term debt, net	0				0	0
Lease liabilities	0
Pension liabilities	0				0	0
Postretirement healthcare benefits	0				0	0
Other long-term liabilities	2,854				2,834	3,094
Shareholders’ equity	(96,930)				(94,390)	(94,007)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ (436,830)				$ (216,385)	$ (398,579)