Aluminum heads

Not at all. (Though I won't argue at all with that being the OEM reason to use it ...)

If the head chamber surfaces are truly cooler, it is because the thermal resistance of the heads is lower, and thus overall thermal resistance from gases to air are also lower. That means the heat flow through the heads and through the coolant, through the rad, and into the air will increase..... because the whole heat flow path, from chamber gases to outside air, has a lower overall thermal resistance. But the thermal resistance from coolant through rad to air is the same. So the higher heat flow raises the coolant temps.

I know it seems wrong to say that. How it changes:
  • Temp drop from gases to head material is higher (which absolutely says that heat flow will be higher)
  • Temp drop through the head itself is lower (due to much lower thermal resistance despite the higher heat flow)
  • Temp drop from head to coolant is higher (due to the higher heat flow)
  • Temp drop from coolant to air is higher (due to the higher heat flow)
There are a whole lot of 'all things being equal' in there.....like coolant flow rate, and surface finishes, which have a big effect on thermal resistances.

I get all that, my statement was with the assumption that power output remains the same (and I almost typed it too.. I should have). If there's more heat extracted from the chamber, and power output remains the same, fuel consumption has to go up. If fuel consumption were steady, then power output has to go down.

Same 'all things being equal' in my original statement ;)