in terms of what works & what doesn't--the old SC500 is way oversquare with a stroke from the 360 of 70mm & bore of [not sure without looking] 90mm or something, which is 10mm over the 80mm 360 it was stretched out from--plus a 4 speed box come to think of it. Rode one occasionally in big flat or rolling grassy miniature tt's we use to call them & on the day [my good day haha] was quicker than my mates RN400. In fact our Hugh Anderson beat Ivan Miller for the nz mx champs back then on the SC & Ivan on the RN--was a great day that.
What's the stroke of the "89 250 your stretching to 360. Yams were typically 70x64 till [i think] went to 68x68 which i suspect this ["89 is] & YZ400F piston is 82mm, the only year they ran 82mm [have one in my old RT2-360.
I do have a 'way' oversquare 250 Yam that's 80x64--well--a 250 with a 360 cylinder, long story but turns on up top. Actually--actually forgot where i was now as a mate turned up on a mint original XR500 twinshock while writing this, & now [i want one]. Cheers.