exhaust heat wrap

I noticed the single radiator on my '08 WRR is so finger close to the header pipe and how its electric cooling fan is running way too often especially when I ride in Moab. The closeness is an obvious bad heat source for the rad. So I wrapped the header with Drag Specialties 1 inch tan color fibreglass exhaust heat wrap. The tan color won't bleed any color dye as it is a natural color and it looks real old school cool. Rather than use the stainless steel ties included, I chose to use high quality stainless steel hose clamps mostly because they are easier to install. My installation began by taking off the header and began wrapping the moistened material from the back working towards the front so that the overlap joint will be more aerodynamic so as not to catch mud or be torn by branches etc. Wetting the wrap allows it to be stretched much tighter than when dry and when all is re-installed the heat from the running motor will cause the wrap to dry and shrink. Stinks like.... well you find out !! I have the Power Bomb header and when you get to the bulge you'll have to get creative to make the wrapping of that area look good. But it is easy and extremely functional when finished. When the pipe is at operating temperature I can actually hold the header with my bare hands, it is that much better at keeping this heat source away from the rad. Also on a high performance note, when the heat of the racing engine exhaust is kept in the pipe, a better flow is created because the exhaust gasses are hotter and you get more power!!

Interesting info from Vance and Hines heat wrap:
"IMPORTANT NOTICE: Use of this Vance & Hines Header Wrap Kit (1861-0622) may void all warranties of the exhaust system that this Kit is applied to. Header Wrap functions to insulate heat generated by exhaust gases flowing through the head pipe, thereby raising the head pipe temperature beyond its intended operating temperature. Using heat wrap may compromise the integrity of the head pipe material, and may ultimately lead to cracks in the head pipe and will not be covered under warranty. Use of header wrap on an exhaust system is a modification to and not a normal use of an exhaust system. This notice is intended to inform the buyer to consider this possibility before using this product."

Makes me wonder if the FMF can handle it?

Yeah, I read all of that stuff as I researched the pro's and con's. My major concern was that my ride is an '08 model and of course there have been factory updates in the following production years. I know the main brgs have been upgraded on one side, and think about the extreme heat generated by the engine and only one rad to dissipate it. For the price of a head pipe compared to the cost of shortened engine life due to too much heat? If my pipe does not fail and my engine runs cooler, then I have made the right decision. If not, then I'll spend the ridiculous amount of money owners will for things like engine coolant additives and thicker rads that promise .....what margin of improvement. Don't forget that I am extending the life of my OEM rad hoses too because they are real close to the pipe! And this is my decision based on my many years of wrenching bikes. Why does the Voyager GPS people put a engine temp. probe on a dirt bike? There is a reason.
I do appreciate your input and you'll for sure hear back from me if your post is my experience.

I would be more worried about the wrap holding moisture against the pipe and leading to corrosion issues. I guess it would dry pretty quickly when riding, but if you wash it or something like that then it could stay wet for a while and even stainless steel corrodes.

I don't think high engine temps necessarily shorten the life of the engine, since it is designed to operate at a certain temperature. I would like to think that Yamaha engineers did some flow calcs when designing the cooling system and the single rad is probably more than sufficient. When riding at any speed, there is probably very little convection between the exhaust and the radiator as air flows over both and carries the heat rearwards. I could see sitting in traffic on a hot highway causing more heat issues.

You could also run some Engine Ice coolant which runs a bit cooler than the standard water/anti-freeze mix if you are concerned.

But if the wrap is more piece of mind, and keeps your right leg cooler and your pants from melting, then it sounds like you did it right. Post up some pictures; we all love pictures...