Motobecane gas strut preload? (no replies)

I'm installing a gas strut on my av10 build and had a question that I can't seem to find an answer on. Is it necessary to preload the gas strut by mounting it so that it's partially compressed at idle? My assumption is that you want as little force from the strut as possible until the engine starts to spin up. Is this correct or do I need a certain amount of tension on the belt at idle?

I guess this is more of an issue to me because I need to drill a hole in my frame to mount this instead of just bolting it on like the stock or doppler springs.