Supplemental Consolidating Data (Cash Flows) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 25, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 25, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net income	$ 134,001	$ 183,594	$ 553,286	$ 493,434
Loss from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	134,001	183,594	553,286	493,434
Depreciation			127,443	131,938
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			58,438	59,272
Amortization of financing origination fees			7,462	8,171
Provision for employee long-term benefits			50,348	50,983
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(220,733)	(207,829)
Stock compensation expense			30,287	28,316
Net change in wholesale finance receivables			5,570	77,519
Provision for credit losses	9,069	6,189	12,823	5,005
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0	8,671
Pension and postretirement healthcare plan curtailment and settlement expense			0	236
Foreign currency adjustments			8,692	11,381
Other, net			9,411	11,036
Accounts receivable			(37,904)	(19,473)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			1,597	7,069
Inventories			36,463	(19,451)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			99,642	257,373
Restructuring reserves			(9,177)	2,664	7,500
Derivative instruments			611	(2,279)
Other			(21,761)	(2,435)
Total adjustments			159,212	408,167
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations (Note 3)			712,498	901,601
Capital expenditures			(95,329)	(106,115)
Origination of finance receivables			(2,328,653)	(2,164,144)
Collections of finance receivables			2,131,025	2,130,369
Purchases of marketable securities			(4,993)	(142,653)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			23,046	104,975
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities of continuing operations			(274,904)	(177,568)
Proceeds from securitization of debt			763,895	571,276
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			993,737	394,277
Loan to HDFS			0
Repayments of securitization debt			(1,161,592)	(1,333,541)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			634,874	(182,058)
Net borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			182,131	(483)
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(6,538)	0
Net change in restricted cash			12,255	50,679
Dividends			(106,560)	(82,557)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(257,981)	(97,456)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			16,390	2,702
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			36,342	7,763
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities of continuing operations			(162,795)	(305,282)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents of continuing operations			(6,608)	(11,857)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents of continuing operations			268,191	406,894
Cash flows from discontinued operations:
Cash flows from operating activities of discontinued operations			0	(74)
Cash flows from investing activities of discontinued operations			0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations			0	0
Total cash flows from discontinued operations			0	(74)
Cash and cash equivalents-beginning of period			1,526,950	1,021,933	1,021,933
Cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations-beginning of period			0	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents			268,191	406,820
Less: Cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations-end of period	0	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents-end of period	1,795,141	1,428,753	1,795,141	1,428,753	1,526,950
Motorcycles And Related Products Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net income	89,110	145,266	641,368	487,296
Loss from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	89,110	145,266	641,368	487,296
Depreciation			122,570	127,174
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees			355	355
Provision for employee long-term benefits			48,808	49,110
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			(220,733)	(207,829)
Stock compensation expense			27,881	26,282
Net change in wholesale finance receivables			0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt				0
Pension and postretirement healthcare plan curtailment and settlement expense			0	236
Foreign currency adjustments			8,692	11,381
Other, net			2,252	(14,923)
Accounts receivable			(230,156)	(132,823)
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			36,463	(19,451)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			86,513	197,233
Restructuring reserves			(9,177)	2,664
Derivative instruments			739	(2,297)
Other			(19,550)	(930)
Total adjustments			(145,343)	36,182
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations (Note 3)			496,025	523,478
Capital expenditures			(91,469)	(100,299)
Origination of finance receivables			0	0
Collections of finance receivables			0	0
Purchases of marketable securities			(4,993)	(142,653)
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			23,046	104,975
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities of continuing operations			(73,416)	(137,977)
Proceeds from securitization of debt			0	0
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			0	0
Loan to HDFS			0
Repayments of securitization debt			0	0
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			0	0
Net borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			0	0
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			0
Net change in restricted cash			0	0
Dividends			(106,560)	(82,557)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			(257,981)	(97,456)
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			16,390	2,702
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			36,342	7,763
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities of continuing operations			(311,809)	(169,548)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents of continuing operations			(5,701)	(11,815)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents of continuing operations			105,099	204,138
Cash flows from discontinued operations:
Cash flows from operating activities of discontinued operations			0	(74)
Cash flows from investing activities of discontinued operations			0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations			0	0
Total cash flows from discontinued operations			0	(74)
Cash and cash equivalents-beginning of period			943,330	791,791	791,791
Cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations-beginning of period			0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents			105,099	204,064
Less: Cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations-end of period	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents-end of period	1,048,429	995,855	1,048,429	995,855
Financial Services Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net income	44,891	38,328	136,918	131,138
Loss from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	44,891	38,328	136,918	131,138
Depreciation			4,873	4,764
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			58,438	59,272
Amortization of financing origination fees			7,107	7,816
Provision for employee long-term benefits			1,540	1,873
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			0	0
Stock compensation expense			2,406	2,034
Net change in wholesale finance receivables			0	0
Provision for credit losses	9,069	6,189	12,823	5,005
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt				8,671
Pension and postretirement healthcare plan curtailment and settlement expense			0	0
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			7,159	25,959
Accounts receivable			0	0
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			1,597	7,069
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			205,381	125,929
Restructuring reserves			0	0
Derivative instruments			(128)	18
Other			(2,211)	46,070
Total adjustments			298,985	294,480
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations (Note 3)			435,903	425,618
Capital expenditures			(3,860)	(5,816)
Origination of finance receivables			(5,315,732)	(4,884,163)
Collections of finance receivables			5,123,674	4,927,907
Purchases of marketable securities			0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities of continuing operations			(195,918)	37,928
Proceeds from securitization of debt			763,895	571,276
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			993,737	394,277
Loan to HDFS			0
Repayments of securitization debt			(1,161,592)	(1,333,541)
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			634,874	(182,058)
Net borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			182,131	(483)
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			(6,538)
Net change in restricted cash			12,255	50,679
Dividends			(225,000)	(125,000)
Purchase of common stock for treasury			0	0
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities of continuing operations			(75,986)	(260,734)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents of continuing operations			(907)	(56)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents of continuing operations			163,092	202,756
Cash flows from discontinued operations:
Cash flows from operating activities of discontinued operations			0	0
Cash flows from investing activities of discontinued operations			0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations			0	0
Total cash flows from discontinued operations			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents-beginning of period			583,620	230,142	230,142
Cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations-beginning of period			0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents			163,092	202,756
Less: Cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations-end of period	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents-end of period	746,712	432,898	746,712	432,898
Eliminations & Adjustments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net income	0	0	(225,000)	(125,000)
Loss from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations	0	0	(225,000)	(125,000)
Depreciation			0	0
Amortization of deferred loan origination costs			0	0
Amortization of financing origination fees			0	0
Provision for employee long-term benefits			0	0
Contributions to pension and postretirement plans			0	0
Stock compensation expense			0	0
Net change in wholesale finance receivables			5,570	77,519
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt				0
Pension and postretirement healthcare plan curtailment and settlement expense			0	0
Foreign currency adjustments			0	0
Other, net			0	0
Accounts receivable			192,252	113,350
Finance receivables-accrued interest and other			0	0
Inventories			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(192,252)	(65,789)
Restructuring reserves			0	0
Derivative instruments			0	0
Other			0	(47,575)
Total adjustments			5,570	77,505
Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations (Note 3)			(219,430)	(47,495)
Capital expenditures			0	0
Origination of finance receivables			2,987,079	2,720,019
Collections of finance receivables			(2,992,649)	(2,797,538)
Purchases of marketable securities			0	0
Sales and redemptions of marketable securities			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities of continuing operations			(5,570)	(77,519)
Proceeds from securitization of debt			0	0
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes			0	0
Loan to HDFS			0
Repayments of securitization debt			0	0
Net decrease in credit facilities and unsecured commercial paper			0	0
Net borrowings of asset-backed commercial paper			0	0
Net repayments of asset-backed commercial paper			0
Net change in restricted cash			0	0
Dividends			225,000	125,000
Purchase of common stock for treasury			0	0
Excess tax benefits from share based payments			0	0
Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans			0	0
Net cash (used by) provided by financing activities of continuing operations			225,000	125,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents of continuing operations			0	14
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents of continuing operations			0	0
Cash flows from discontinued operations:
Cash flows from operating activities of discontinued operations			0	0
Cash flows from investing activities of discontinued operations			0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations			0	0
Total cash flows from discontinued operations			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents-beginning of period			0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations-beginning of period			0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Less: Cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations-end of period	0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents-end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0