Financial Information for Polaris Acceptance Reflecting Effects of Securitization Facility (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Polaris Acceptance
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 40,968	$ 13,010	$ 8,811
Interest and operating expenses	3,678	3,044	1,013
Net income	37,290	9,966	7,798
Finance receivables, net	337,088	226,742
Other assets	122	172
Total Assets	337,210	226,914
Notes payable/(receivable)	155,436	85,096
Other liabilities	3,560	3,384
Partners' capital	178,214	138,434
Total Liabilities and Partners' Capital	$ 337,210	$ 226,914
Maximum
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Aggregate repurchase obligation	15.00%

Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Interest and Operating Expenses

No definition available.

Name:	pii_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationInterestAndOperatingExpenses
Namespace Prefix:	pii_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Notes Receivable (Payable), Current

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pii_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationNotesReceivablePayableCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	pii_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Financial assets accounted for as sale, repurchase commitment percent of outstanding month end balances.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pii_TransfersOfFinancialAssetsAccountedForAsSaleRepurchaseCommitmentPercentOfOutstandingMonthEndBalances
Namespace Prefix:	pii_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of assets reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(g))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 323

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6382943&loc=d3e33918-111571

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 323

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6382943&loc=d3e33912-111571

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 28

-Subparagraph (f)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957238&loc=d3e14064-108612

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph bb

-Article 1

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 08

-Paragraph g

-Subparagraph 1, 2

-Article 4

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph w

-Article 1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of current assets reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationCurrentAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of equity, excluding noncontrolling interest, attributable to the equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationEquityOrCapital
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of liabilities and equity reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationLiabilitiesAndEquity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationNetIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of noncurrent assets reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationNoncurrentAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of noncurrent liabilities reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationNoncurrentLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of revenue from sale of goods and services reduced by sales returns, allowances, and discounts reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfInvestmentsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis=pii_PolarisAcceptanceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: