[Jfrahm]

You are confusing variocam operation with retiming/degreeing cams for performance. The variocam does not, as delivered, allow you to play around with the cam timing. It just shifts chain slack a fixed amount. The bean shaped holes in the belt sprocket allow you to shift the exhaust cam timing but the intake cam shifts the same amount due to the fixed sprocket and chain arrangement between them.

If the variocam unit acted up and down equally it'd just add tension to the cam and not shift timing, so naturally it only presses on the upper run of chain. Yes this changes the intake cam timing relative to the exhaust however it's not adjustable, it slams between two fixed states. If you wanted to try advancing or retarding just the exhaust cam 4 degrees you have no facility for that, stock. Probably no big deal with stock cams and maybe no big deal with performance cams as the exhaust cam timing is not as likely to change your life. However it is a reasonable thing to consider with aftermarket cams where you might want to dial in some midrange.