Fitted the modified thermostat housing and lower coolant pipe yesterday.
After a bit of trial and error with the hoses I'd got, settled on routing them around the back of the engine. Fired it up and within about 30seconds there was heat in the stat housing and bottom pipe, just the result I was after. Put the fairings back on ,took it for a good run, temp gauge was hovering around the line above the C. Ambient was about 7C.
Will use it for work next week and see how it goes. If I was going to do it again, I'd probably make the weld on on the stat housing suit a banjo fitting and run the hoses over the top of the engine.
Total cost was £33, I could have not bought the spare stat housing or bottom pipe and used my original parts but wanted the ability to go back to std if it didn't work. Welding and hoses were free from work. If I'd used my existing stat and pipe, it would have cost me £6.50.