i think your thermostat is almost on its way out, it should be near the middle.
and yes the water tempt needle will rest below c when the engine is off
for me n+ wont break your back =] its quite comfortable on the lowest settings, not to bumpy not to rough.
and when you want to have a spirited run they perform exceptionally well
bang for buck...
they shouldnt stick out, i was running the same setup a while back and mine didnt stick out instead it was inside the guards.
lower offsets will make the wheels/tyres stick out of the guards more....