Supplemental Consolidating Data - Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended						9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Jul. 01, 2018	Apr. 01, 2018	Sep. 29, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 86,563	$ 195,631	$ 127,945	$ 113,855	$ 242,338	$ 174,763	$ 410,139	$ 530,956
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization							174,609	196,461
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs							57,303	61,213
Amortization of financing origination fees							7,032	6,207
Provision for long-term employee benefits							10,888	28,162
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments							(11,166)	(11,035)
Stock compensation expense							25,323	29,122
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales							683	(18,400)
Provision for credit losses	33,747			23,530			94,621	72,462
Deferred income taxes							3,535	1,457
Other, net							7,839	29,340
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net							(7,833)	(14,784)
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other							(4,574)	1,374
Inventories							62,870	8,270
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities							13,138	183,606
Derivative instruments							2,537	1,227
Other							1,705	16,917
Total adjustments							438,510	591,599
Net cash provided by operating activities							848,649	1,122,555
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures							(121,161)	(119,845)
Origination of finance receivables							(3,141,626)	(3,039,160)
Collections on finance receivables							2,695,918	2,564,695
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities							10,007	0
Acquisition of business							(7,000)	0
Other investing activities							12,388	(21,753)
Net cash used by investing activities							(551,474)	(616,063)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes							546,655	1,144,018
Repayments of medium-term notes							(1,350,000)	(877,488)
Proceeds from securitization debt							1,021,353	0
Repayments of securitization debt							(244,250)	(224,507)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper							177,950	120,903
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper							(240,008)	(156,258)
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper							(120,707)	102,154
Dividends paid							(179,409)	(186,105)
Repurchase of common stock							(217,454)	(195,998)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans							2,180	3,157
Net cash used by financing activities							(603,690)	(270,124)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							(4,110)	(12,567)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							(310,625)	223,801
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	949,123			970,011			949,123	970,011
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	82,705			49,462			396,320	469,370
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization							168,013	193,289
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs							0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees							503	497
Provision for long-term employee benefits							10,888	28,162
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments							(11,166)	(11,035)
Stock compensation expense							22,869	26,122
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales							0	0
Provision for credit losses	0			0			0	0
Deferred income taxes							5,514	(2,991)
Other, net							9,126	28,426
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net							(216,961)	(169,168)
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other							0	0
Inventories							62,870	8,270
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities							8,729	170,001
Derivative instruments							2,443	1,124
Other							(19,516)	19,411
Total adjustments							43,312	292,108
Net cash provided by operating activities							439,632	761,478
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures							(118,182)	(110,493)
Origination of finance receivables							0	0
Collections on finance receivables							0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities							10,007
Other investing activities							12,388	(21,753)
Net cash used by investing activities							(102,787)	(132,246)
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							(179,409)	(186,105)
Repurchase of common stock							(217,454)	(195,998)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans							2,180	3,157
Net cash used by financing activities							(394,683)	(378,946)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							(4,604)	(11,802)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							(62,442)	238,484
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	482,106			576,670			482,106	576,670
Reportable Legal Entities | Financial Services Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	53,999			64,462			153,905	171,801
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization							6,596	3,172
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs							57,303	61,213
Amortization of financing origination fees							6,529	5,710
Provision for long-term employee benefits							0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments							0	0
Stock compensation expense							2,454	3,000
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales							0	0
Provision for credit losses	33,747			23,530			94,621	72,462
Deferred income taxes							(1,765)	4,343
Other, net							(1,372)	699
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net							0	0
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other							(4,574)	1,374
Inventories							0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities							207,971	152,028
Derivative instruments							94	103
Other							12,144	3,173
Total adjustments							380,001	307,277
Net cash provided by operating activities							533,906	479,078
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures							(2,979)	(9,352)
Origination of finance receivables							(5,757,384)	(5,845,799)
Collections on finance receivables							5,326,787	5,363,333
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities							0
Other investing activities							0	0
Net cash used by investing activities							(433,576)	(491,818)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes							546,655	1,144,018
Repayments of medium-term notes							(1,350,000)	(877,488)
Repayments of securitization debt							(244,250)	(224,507)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper							177,950	120,903
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper							(240,008)	(156,258)
Net (decrease) increase in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper							(120,707)	102,154
Dividends paid							(140,000)	(110,000)
Repurchase of common stock							0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans							0	0
Net cash used by financing activities							(349,007)	(1,178)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							494	(765)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash							(248,183)	(14,683)
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	467,017			393,341			467,017	393,341
Eliminations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(50,141)			(69)			(140,086)	(110,215)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization							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							683	(18,400)
Provision for credit losses	0			0			0	0
Deferred income taxes							(214)	105
Other, net							85	215
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net							209,128	154,384
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other							0	0
Inventories							0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities							(203,562)	(138,423)
Derivative instruments							0	0
Other							9,077	(5,667)
Total adjustments							15,197	(7,786)
Net cash provided by operating activities							(124,889)	(118,001)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures							0	0
Origination of finance receivables							2,615,758	2,806,639
Collections on finance receivables							(2,630,869)	(2,798,638)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities							0
Acquisition of business							0
Other investing activities							0	0
Net cash used by investing activities							(15,111)	8,001
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							140,000	110,000
Repurchase of common stock							0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans							0	0
Net cash used by financing activities							140,000	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