Well that's just the nature of this beast. Not a big power maker. Not as much displacement as larger engines so big cams slow down intake velocities compared to say a b20 vtec which with more displacement and the same large cams would make much better power; and the vtec engagement point could probably be lowered a couple of hundred rpms b/c it wouldn't have a big dip in power because the air not slowing down as much as the anemic b16.