I never rode either, but was lucky to get into the course during a March session, although this was 4 years ago. Anyhow, this is what you will learn in the class: clutch control, looking through turns, apply brakes before turns NOT IN THEM (u can, but u better be damn good and know what the hell ur doing), only lean the bike when making tight turns (such as a right at a light, or a U-turn), be in the habbit of applying both brakes, downshift before entering most turns/curves, dont put the bike in neutral until someone has pulled up behind u and stopped (incase they "dont see you" stopped and you need to pull away before hit)..........hmm, that might be a lot now that i think about it, but its really not that much. They tell you all this shit, and then have the group practice all of it. So now that i've told you, just practice that shit, then take the DMV test and take the MSF later. The most important thing I found from the course was clutch control/friction point. You wont burn out a wet clutch on a bike like you would a car, so fucking play with it. Get on ur friend dirt bike and try to just stay balanced on the bike without fully engaging or disengaging the clutch--you wont be moving forward fast at all, but you wont be standing still either--you'll basically be keeping the bike balanced without using your feet. Once you've got that down, try doing figure 8's with this technique, and then move to figure S's.

Also try and get a manual or guide from one of the MSF courses, its similar to the guide they give you at DMV for driving a car for the first time. It will help you get the idea of how to ride, and i've given you technique, althought technique is aquired from actual practice, it wont make sense by just reading it. Good luck.