Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 25, 2017	Jun. 26, 2016	Jun. 25, 2017	Jun. 26, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 258,867	$ 280,431	$ 445,236	$ 530,920
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			107,578	100,956
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			40,771	43,555
Amortization of financing origination fees			4,079	5,146
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			14,950	19,005
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			(37,307)	(35,189)
Stock compensation expense			17,497	15,797
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(271,927)	(442,254)
Provision for credit losses	26,217	23,461	69,806	60,584
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization			0	(9,269)
Deferred income taxes			178	(3,548)
Other, net			(4,163)	(20,508)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			(28,239)	(55,109)
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other			2,067	(125)
Inventories			138,942	225,586
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			133,120	53,790
Derivative instruments			3,114	(1,474)
Other			(8,634)	(31,573)
Total adjustments			181,832	(74,630)
Net cash provided by operating activities			627,068	456,290
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(69,816)	(107,531)
Origination of finance receivables			(1,977,839)	(1,991,384)
Collections on finance receivables			1,647,799	1,630,213
Proceeds from finance receivables sold			0	312,571
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			6,916	40,000
Other			115	166
Net cash used by investing activities			(392,825)	(115,965)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			893,668	1,193,396
Repayments of medium-term notes			(400,000)	(450,000)
Repayments of securitization debt			(275,659)	(385,837)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			(128,787)	(181,259)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			341,625	33,428
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(77,732)	(34,989)
Net change in restricted cash			(7,248)	17,992
Dividends paid			(128,452)	(127,800)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(243,055)	(269,411)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments			0	331
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			7,432	2,367
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			(18,208)	(201,782)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			12,457	3,918
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			228,492	142,461
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			759,984	722,209
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			228,492	142,461
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	988,476	864,670	988,476	864,670
Reportable Legal Entities | Motorcycles And Related Products Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	208,900	268,263	469,345	625,366
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			104,157	97,025
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees			327	330
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			14,950	19,005
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			(37,307)	(35,189)
Stock compensation expense			15,995	14,562
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization				0
Deferred income taxes			4,975	798
Other, net			(6,422)	(20,505)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			(241,569)	(416,198)
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			138,942	225,586
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			112,916	23,420
Derivative instruments			3,106	(1,474)
Other			(8,683)	(33,237)
Total adjustments			101,387	(125,877)
Net cash provided by operating activities			570,732	499,489
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(64,273)	(104,125)
Origination of finance receivables			0	0
Collections on finance receivables			0	0
Proceeds from finance receivables sold				0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			6,916	40,000
Other			115	166
Net cash used by investing activities			(57,242)	(63,959)
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
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			0	0
Net change in restricted cash			0	0
Dividends paid			(128,452)	(127,800)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(243,055)	(269,411)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments				331
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			7,432	2,367
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			(364,075)	(394,513)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			11,937	4,202
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			161,352	45,219
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			425,540	400,443
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			161,352	45,219
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	586,892	445,662	586,892	445,662
Reportable Legal Entities | Financial Services Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	50,108	55,581	82,015	88,722
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles			3,421	3,931
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			40,771	43,555
Amortization of financing origination fees			3,752	4,816
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			0	0
Stock compensation expense			1,502	1,235
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			0	0
Provision for credit losses	26,217	23,461	69,806	60,584
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization				(9,269)
Deferred income taxes			(4,586)	(3,906)
Other, net			2,134	(171)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			0	0
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other			2,067	(125)
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			228,247	385,992
Derivative instruments			8	0
Other			98	1,664
Total adjustments			347,220	488,306
Net cash provided by operating activities			429,235	577,028
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(5,543)	(3,406)
Origination of finance receivables			(4,205,868)	(4,507,717)
Collections on finance receivables			3,608,929	3,709,319
Proceeds from finance receivables sold				312,571
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash used by investing activities			(602,482)	(489,233)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			893,668	1,193,396
Repayments of medium-term notes			(400,000)	(450,000)
Repayments of securitization debt			(275,659)	(385,837)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			(128,787)	(181,259)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			341,625	33,428
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(77,732)	(34,989)
Net change in restricted cash			(7,248)	17,992
Dividends paid			(106,000)	(183,000)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments				0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			239,867	9,731
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			520	(284)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			67,140	97,242
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			334,444	321,766
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			67,140	97,242
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	401,584	419,008	401,584	419,008
Eliminations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(141)	(43,413)	(106,124)	(183,168)
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
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense			0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments			0	0
Stock compensation expense			0	0
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales			(271,927)	(442,254)
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Gain on off-balance sheet securitization				0
Deferred income taxes			(211)	(440)
Other, net			125	168
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net			213,330	361,089
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(208,043)	(355,622)
Derivative instruments			0	0
Other			(49)	0
Total adjustments			(266,775)	(437,059)
Net cash provided by operating activities			(372,899)	(620,227)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Origination of finance receivables			2,228,029	2,516,333
Collections on finance receivables			(1,961,130)	(2,079,106)
Proceeds from finance receivables sold				0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Other			0	0
Net cash used by investing activities			266,899	437,227
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
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			0	0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			0	0
Net change in restricted cash			0	0
Dividends paid			106,000	183,000
Purchase of common stock for treasury			0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments				0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities			106,000	183,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period			0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents—end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0