Supplemental Consolidating Data (Operations) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jul. 01, 2012	Apr. 01, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 25, 2011	Jun. 26, 2011	Mar. 27, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Motorcycles and related products	$ 1,010,900	$ 1,089,300	$ 1,569,000	$ 1,273,400	$ 1,026,800	$ 1,232,700	$ 1,339,700	$ 1,063,000	$ 4,942,582,000	$ 4,662,264,000	$ 4,176,627,000
Financial services	160,000	161,000	160,600	156,300	157,200	164,600	165,900	161,900	637,924,000	649,449,000	682,709,000
Total revenue									5,580,506,000	5,311,713,000	4,859,336,000
Motorcycles and related products cost of goods sold									3,222,394,000	3,106,288,000	2,749,224,000
Financial services interest expense									195,990,000	229,492,000	272,484,000
Financial services provision for credit losses									22,239,000	17,031,000	93,118,000
Selling, administrative and engineering expense									1,111,232,000	1,060,943,000	1,020,371,000
Restructuring expense									28,475,000	67,992,000	163,508,000
Total costs and expenses									4,580,330,000	4,481,746,000	4,298,705,000
Operating income									1,000,176,000	829,967,000	560,631,000
Investment income									7,369,000	7,963,000	5,442,000
Interest expense									46,033,000	45,266,000	90,357,000
Loss on debt extinguishment									0	0	85,247,000
Income before provision for income taxes	106,400	207,100	382,100	265,900	83,600	233,900	292,300	182,900	961,512,000	792,664,000	390,469,000
Provision for income taxes									337,587,000	244,586,000	130,800,000
Income from continuing operations	70,600	134,000	247,300	172,000	54,600	183,600	190,600	119,300	623,925,000	548,078,000	259,669,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	0	51,000	0	0	0	0	51,036,000	(113,124,000)
Net income	70,600	134,000	247,300	172,000	105,600	183,600	190,600	119,300	623,925,000	599,114,000	146,545,000
Motorcycles & Related Products Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Motorcycles and related products									4,952,748,000	4,671,942,000	4,176,627,000
Financial services									0	0	0
Total revenue									4,952,748,000	4,671,942,000	4,176,627,000
Motorcycles and related products cost of goods sold									3,222,394,000	3,106,288,000	2,749,224,000
Financial services interest expense									0	0	0
Financial services provision for credit losses									0	0	0
Selling, administrative and engineering expense									977,782,000	926,832,000	881,888,000
Restructuring expense									28,475,000	67,992,000	163,508,000
Total costs and expenses									4,228,651,000	4,101,112,000	3,794,620,000
Operating income									724,097,000	570,830,000	382,007,000
Investment income									232,369,000	132,963,000	5,442,000
Interest expense									46,033,000	45,266,000	90,357,000
Loss on debt extinguishment											85,247,000
Income before provision for income taxes									910,433,000	658,527,000	211,845,000
Provision for income taxes									233,385,000	150,756,000	66,495,000
Income from continuing operations									677,048,000	507,771,000	145,350,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax									0	51,036,000	(113,124,000)
Net income									677,048,000	558,807,000	32,226,000
Financial Services Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Motorcycles and related products									0	0	0
Financial services									639,482,000	649,474,000	683,329,000
Total revenue									639,482,000	649,474,000	683,329,000
Motorcycles and related products cost of goods sold									0	0	0
Financial services interest expense									195,990,000	229,492,000	272,484,000
Financial services provision for credit losses									22,239,000	17,031,000	93,118,000
Selling, administrative and engineering expense									145,174,000	143,814,000	139,103,000
Restructuring expense									0	0	0
Total costs and expenses									363,403,000	390,337,000	504,705,000
Operating income									276,079,000	259,137,000	178,624,000
Investment income									0	0	0
Interest expense									0	0	0
Loss on debt extinguishment											0
Income before provision for income taxes									276,079,000	259,137,000	178,624,000
Provision for income taxes									104,202,000	93,830,000	64,305,000
Income from continuing operations									171,877,000	165,307,000	114,319,000
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax									0	0	0
Net income									171,877,000	165,307,000	114,319,000
Eliminations & Adjustments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Motorcycles and related products									(10,166,000)	(9,678,000)	0
Financial services									(1,558,000)	(25,000)	(620,000)
Total revenue									(11,724,000)	(9,703,000)	(620,000)
Motorcycles and related products cost of goods sold									0	0	0
Financial services interest expense									0	0	0
Financial services provision for credit losses									0	0	0
Selling, administrative and engineering expense									(11,724,000)	(9,703,000)	(620,000)
Restructuring expense									0	0	0
Total costs and expenses									(11,724,000)	(9,703,000)	(620,000)
Operating income									0	0	0
Investment income									(225,000,000)	(125,000,000)	0
Interest expense									0	0	0
Loss on debt extinguishment											0
Income before provision for income taxes									(225,000,000)	(125,000,000)	0
Provision for income taxes									0	0	0
Income from continuing operations									(225,000,000)	(125,000,000)	0
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax									0	0	0
Net income									$ (225,000,000)	$ (125,000,000)	$ 0