Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Apr. 01, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 127,945	$ 174,763
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles	64,372	62,473
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	18,968	20,116
Amortization of financing origination fees	2,194	2,028
Provision for long-term employee benefits	3,156	9,747
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(2,507)	(5,486)
Stock compensation expense	6,537	7,962
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	(237,569)	(239,902)
Provision for credit losses	34,491	30,052
Deferred income taxes	5,981	3,188
Other, net	2,731	(1,902)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(49,746)	(17,688)
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other	92	4,758
Inventories	(40,600)	(21,542)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	123,975	148,923
Derivative instruments	867	702
Other	(28,216)	13,402
Total adjustments	(95,274)	16,831
Net cash provided by operating activities	32,671	191,594
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(35,255)	(28,436)
Origination of finance receivables	(851,372)	(798,067)
Collections on finance receivables	815,824	809,800
Acquisition of business	(7,000)	0
Other	603	(4,948)
Net cash used by investing activities	(77,200)	(21,651)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	546,655	347,553
Repayments of medium-term notes	(750,000)	0
Repayments of securitization debt	(76,505)	(67,955)
Net increase (decrease) in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	58,527	(234,145)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper	0	35,504
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(72,401)	(45,907)
Dividends paid	(60,859)	(62,731)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(61,712)	(72,968)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	616	1,719
Net cash used by financing activities	(415,679)	(98,930)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(409)	2,034
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period	1,259,748	746,210
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(460,617)	73,047
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period	799,131	819,257
Motorcycles And Related Products Operations
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of business	(7,000)
Financial Services Operations
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of business	0
Reportable Legal Entities | Motorcycles And Related Products Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	129,414	238,329
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles	62,187	61,405
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees	167	165
Provision for long-term employee benefits	3,156	9,747
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	(2,507)	(5,486)
Stock compensation expense	5,845	7,072
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Deferred income taxes	6,195	2,469
Other, net	1,886	(2,081)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	(243,734)	(195,123)
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other	0	0
Inventories	(40,600)	(21,542)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	122,462	121,833
Derivative instruments	834	666
Other	(41,339)	9,935
Total adjustments	(125,448)	(10,940)
Net cash provided by operating activities	3,966	227,389
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(34,657)	(25,746)
Origination of finance receivables	0	0
Collections on finance receivables	0	0
Other	603	(4,948)
Net cash used by investing activities	(41,054)	(30,694)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	0	0
Repayments of medium-term notes	0
Repayments of securitization debt	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper		0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0
Dividends paid	(60,859)	(62,731)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(61,712)	(72,968)
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	616	1,719
Net cash used by financing activities	(121,955)	(133,980)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(1,115)	2,108
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period	544,548	338,186
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(160,158)	64,823
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period	384,390	403,009
Reportable Legal Entities | Financial Services Operations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	43,453	46,413
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles	2,185	1,068
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs	18,968	20,116
Amortization of financing origination fees	2,027	1,863
Provision for long-term employee benefits	0	0
Employee benefit plan contributions and payments	0	0
Stock compensation expense	692	890
Net change in wholesale finance receivables related to sales	0	0
Provision for credit losses	34,491	30,052
Deferred income taxes	314	979
Other, net	922	200
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other	92	4,758
Inventories	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	180,980	201,056
Derivative instruments	33	36
Other	18,997	6,269
Total adjustments	259,701	267,287
Net cash provided by operating activities	303,154	313,700
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(598)	(2,690)
Origination of finance receivables	(1,691,416)	(1,786,309)
Collections on finance receivables	1,426,419	1,558,547
Other	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	(265,595)	(230,452)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	546,655	347,553
Repayments of medium-term notes	(750,000)
Repayments of securitization debt	(76,505)	(67,955)
Net increase (decrease) in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	58,527	(234,145)
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper		35,504
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	(72,401)	(45,907)
Dividends paid	(45,000)	(110,000)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	0	0
Net cash used by financing activities	(338,724)	(74,950)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	706	(74)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period	715,200	408,024
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(300,459)	8,224
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period	414,741	416,248
Eliminations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	(44,922)	(109,979)
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
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	(237,569)	(239,902)
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(528)	(260)
Other, net	(77)	(21)
Changes in current assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	193,988	177,435
Finance receivables - accrued interest and other	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(179,467)	(173,966)
Derivative instruments	0	0
Other	(5,874)	(2,802)
Total adjustments	(229,527)	(239,516)
Net cash provided by operating activities	(274,449)	(349,495)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Origination of finance receivables	840,044	988,242
Collections on finance receivables	(610,595)	(748,747)
Acquisition of business	0
Other	0	0
Net cash used by investing activities	229,449	239,495
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	0	0
Repayments of medium-term notes	0
Repayments of securitization debt	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper	0	0
Borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper		0
Repayments of asset-backed commercial paper	0	0
Dividends paid	45,000	110,000
Purchase of common stock for treasury	0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans	0	0
Net cash used by financing activities	45,000	110,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period	$ 0	$ 0