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Investment in Other Affiliates - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended |  | 1 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2011 Robin Manufacturing | Nov. 30, 2012 Eicher Motors Limited | Jul. 24, 2012 Eicher Motors Limited | Jul. 31, 2012 Brammo, Inc | Oct. 31, 2011 Brammo, Inc
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity method investment ownership percentage |  | 40.00% |  | 50.00% |  |
Investment in affiliates |  |  | $ 999,000 |  | $ 7,000,000 | $ 5,000,000
Joint venture investment |  |  |  | 50,000,000 |  |
Joint venture description |  |  |  | In July 2012, Polaris announced a joint venture agreement with Eicher Motors Limited (Eicher), a leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles and motorcycles in India. Polaris and Eicher will each control 50 percent of the joint venture, Eicher-Polaris Private Limited (EPPL), which is intended to design, develop and manufacture a full range of new vehicles for India and other emerging markets. The investment in EPPL is accounted for under the equity method, with Polaris’ proportionate share of income or loss recorded within the consolidated financial statements on a one month lag due to financial information not being available timely. The overall investment is expected to be approximately $50,000,000, shared equally with Eicher over a three year period. |  |
Investment maturity period |  |  |  | 3 years |  |
Equity in loss of other affiliates | $ (179,000) |  | $ (179,000) |  |  |

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