Thats absolutely right... adding weights to the rollers is no good... it is the wrong way to go (on a PA50I at least)... it causes the ped to "upshift" way before it revs out in the low range.... so you might as well have a one speed.
I know ... I tried it with a couple different size weights...(despite the fact that thats what I figured would happen).
With the large weights... it was 'shifted' before you even got to 5mph.... with lighter weights... it shifted at 11mph.
With NO weights... the engine pleasantly revs out in the lower range and shifts at 15mph.... Honda got that quite right.
and that means its faster accelerating.
David ... a warning on one thing... Chris's "variator mod" isn't actually a ramp mod... (I may have even been the one that mistakenly called it that).. he doesn't alter the ramps... just the stops that STOP the weights movement on the ramp.... (it is actually a large notch in the moveable outer pulley's outside diameter at each weight).
Gained me about 3 or 4 mph... (but I still have the tiny tiny 'restrictor' reed valve in it)