Take my word for it - bikes do not return from the Dalton Highway (Deadhorse, AK) and ever look as nice again. The stuff they spread on the roads there eats steel. My DR650SE's exhaust is so corroded that I definitely have a good excuse to get the FMF Bomb header/midpipe combo I've had my eye on for a while. Also - a rock from a passing truck cracked my aircraft grade plexiglass windscreen in half(!) on the way back. It's and awesome ride. Long road, beautiful scenery, and there's good food in Coldfoot! Be prepared to pay 6X what you pay in the lower 48 for fuel up there, and bring a spare tank. I have a 30L Safari tank on my DR - so I made it from Fairbanks-Coldfoot and Coldfoot-Deadhorse no problem, but most tanks aren't 8 gallons (the safari tanks swell and get more capacity over the years).
So glad I took the ride - it was one of the highlights of my 5 years in Alaska. Get to Kennecot and see the mine while you're up in AK - it's a great adventure ride (Riding across a pedestrian bridge is good times!).