Restructuring Expense And Other Impairments (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended						1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended							3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011 Motorcycles Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Motorcycles Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Motorcycles Segment [Member]	Feb. 28, 2011 Kansas City [Member] years	Dec. 31, 2011 Kansas City [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 New Castalloy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Employee Severance And Termination Costs [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Employee Severance And Termination Costs [Member] Kansas City [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] Kansas City [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 2011 Restructuring Plan [Member] New Castalloy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 2009 Restructuring Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 2009 Restructuring Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 2009 Restructuring Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 2009 Restructuring Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 2009 Restructuring Plan [Member] Motorcycles Segment [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member] years	Dec. 31, 2011 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member] Milwaukee Facilities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 2010 Restructuring Plan [Member] Tomahawk Facilities [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of employee deduction												200
Restructuring expense	$ 67,992,000	$ 163,508,000	$ 224,278,000	$ 67,992,000	$ 163,508,000	$ 220,976,000							$ 8,800,000	$ 9,400,000		$ 39,532,000	$ 119,125,000	$ 224,278,000			$ 12,600,000
Agreement period (in years)							7													7
Full-time employee implementation contract													145
250 fewer employees under existing contract																							250
In Tomahawk, the Company expects to have a full-time hourly unionized workforce of about 200 when the contract is implemented, about 75 fewer than would be required under the current contract																								75
Expected restructuring expense													15,000,000	30,000,000							67,000,000
Non-cash restructuring expense								(236,000)	(656,000)	(28,174,000)	(236,000)	(892,000)					(50,481,000)	(83,169,000)				28,200,000
Expected percentage of restructuring charges that will be non-cash												35.00%	10.00%			30.00%					42.00%
Restructuring and impairment expenses, minimum																388,000,000
Restructuring and impairment expenses, maximum																408,000,000
Cumulative restructuring and impairment expense																380,600,000					57,000,000
Reduction in hourly production positions, minimum																2,700
Reduction in hourly production positions, maximum																2,900
Estimated reduction in salaried positions from restructuring																720			100
Employees who have left the Company due to restructuring																3,600
Exit costs															3,800,000
Employee severance costs															$ 2,300,000