RE: center of gravity..How Close??
I don't care if there's a gold placard showing where the battery goes, move it forward. Strap it to the side of the Engine Box and drill a hole through the firewall for the wire if you need to.
Then, if it still needs it, add lead.
As was said before, you can get away with being a little nose-heavy, but you do NOT want to fly a plane that is Tail-Heavy.